PRIME MINISTER

Public Relations Consultants

John Bercow: To ask the Prime Minister how much was spent by his office on external public relations consultants in each of the last four years.

Tony Blair: No expenditure has been made by my office on external public relations consultants in each of the last four years.

Ministerial Visits

Michael Ancram: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has for special envoys to represent him on visits to (a) Latin America and (b) Asia.

Tony Blair: I have no plans to send special envoys to Latin America or Asia at the moment.

Deputy Prime Minister

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement defining the duties of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Tony Blair: As First Secretary of State the Deputy Prime Minister continues to deputise for me as required, drawing on the resources of other parts of the Cabinet Office as necessary. He oversees the work of the Social Exclusion Unit, which reports to me through him. He is also responsible for the Regional Co-ordination Unit and the nine Government Offices for the Regions. I have also asked him to be responsible for a White Paper on Regional Governance, in close liaison with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and in co-operation with other Cabinet colleagues.
	On international matters the Deputy Prime Minister supports me. He continues to play a role in international climate change discussions and negotiations on my behalf. More recently, I have also asked the Deputy Prime Minister to take on a similar role in preparation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) to be held in Johannesburg in September 2002. In addition he sees visiting dignitaries and undertakes overseas visits on my behalf; and oversees the work of the International Public Service Group. He also carries ministerial responsibility for the British-Irish Council and will deputise for me as necessary at meetings of the Council.
	The Deputy Prime Minister chairs Cabinet Committees on domestic affairs and on the nations and regions; and Sub-Committees on social exclusion and regeneration and on energy policy. He also chairs the newly established Ministerial Group (MISC18) on WSSD and continues to chair the Committee on the environment.

RMT

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's relationship with the RMT union.

Tony Blair: The relevant Ministers and officials meet stakeholders in the railway industry, including the RMT, as appropriate. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Code.

Lords-lieutenant

George Howarth: To ask the Prime Minister what criteria he uses to appoint (a) lords-lieutenant and (b) deputy lords-lieutenant; if he will list the names of deputy lords-lieutenant for each county; and what his estimate is of the average number of official engagements per week of (i) lords-lieutenant and (ii) deputy lords- lieutenant undertaken for each county.

Tony Blair: In England, consultations which help to inform the appointment area are carried out by the Prime Minister's Secretary for Appointments. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland consultations are carried out by the relevant Administration or Department. Those appointed as lords-lieutenant are people of standing in their local communities, most frequently on account of their record of voluntary activity for the good of the community.
	Deputy lieutenants are appointed by the lord-lieutenant at his or her discretion, subject only to Her Majesty not disapproving of the grant of the commission. As of July 2001 there were approximately 2,720 deputy lieutenants
	It is not possible to estimate the number of official engagements for each lord-lieutenant or deputy lieutenant, which will reflect such matters as the size and population of the county or area concerned, the demand for such engagements, and the views and judgment of the lords- lieutenant themselves.

Lords-lieutenant

George Howarth: To ask the Prime Minister how many lords-lieutenant he has appointed for each county since assuming this responsibility.

Tony Blair: Lords-lieutenant are appointed under current legislation by Her Majesty the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister of the day. In the case of Scotland and Wales the Prime Minister is himself advised by the relevant First Minister and in Northern Ireland by the Secretary of State. Since 2 May 1997 31 lords- lieutenant have been appointed.

Commissioner for Public Appointments

David Cairns: To ask the Prime Minister whether the Commissioner for Public Appointments is to be reappointed at the end of her term.

Tony Blair: I am pleased to be able to announce that Dame Rennie Fritchie has been reappointed for a further term of three years when her current appointment comes to an end on 28 February. Dame Rennie has fulfilled her role as regulator of the public appointments system in a resolute and distinguished manner over the last three years. She has made a major contribution to raising standards in this area and I am sure that this will continue during her second term. She will continue to serve as a Civil Service Commissioner.

Performance and Innovation Unit

Ian Stewart: To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish the remit given to the Performance and Innovation Unit to make a study of the Government's sport strategy.

Tony Blair: I have asked the Performance and Innovation Unit (PIU) to carry out a joint study with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport examining long-term sports policy. The project team will consider the roles and responsibilities of Government, and the private and voluntary sectors in helping sport better achieve the objectives of increased grassroots participation in sport and elite sporting excellence. The project team will clarify the roles and responsibilities and interventions of Government to help sport better achieve its own objectives. They will develop an overall strategy for guiding Government's decisions on sports policy (including major events), and review the existing institutional and financial arrangements, in the context of Government's own wider objectives. The initial scoping note for the project is available on the PIU website http:///www.piu.gov.uk/2001/sport/scope.shtml. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport will be the Sponsor Minister for the project. The unit aims to complete its study by summer 2002.

WALES

Private Finance Initiative

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total external spend by his Department was on Private Finance Initiative consultants in each of the last four years; how many full-time equivalent consultants were employed over this period; how many billed consultancy days there were per year; what the implied average cost of each PFI consultant was; how many consultancy firms were used by his Department over this period; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: Since the Wales Office came into being in July 1999 it has incurred no such expenditure.
	In the period from April 1998 to July 1999 the former Welsh Office spent some £770,000 on consultancies relating to the PFI aspect of the A55 road in North Wales; there were also two secondees into the Welsh Office during that period advising on PFI matters.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of the departmental expenditure limit in 2001–02 will be accounted for by salary costs and pension contributions.

Paul Murphy: At present I estimate that some 42 per cent. of the Wales Office Departmental Expenditure Limit for 2001–02 is being spent on pay and pensions.

National Assembly

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has (a) to help promote the National Assembly for Wales, (b) to help improve communications between the National Assembly for Wales and Whitehall Departments and (c) to make the National Assembly for Wales work more effectively and efficiently; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Wales Office's Departmental Report (Cm 5121) in respect of parts (a) and (b) of his question; and to the Assembly's Performance Report in respect of part (c).

Departmental Leave Entitlement

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the average annual leave entitlement of staff in his Department in each of the last four years.

Paul Murphy: Until August 2000 the leave entitlement for Welsh Office or National Assembly for Wales staff (including those seconded to my Department) was a minimum of 22 days a year rising to a maximum of 30 days. Since August 2000 it has been a minimum of 25 days rising to the same maximum of 30 days.
	My Department also contains a small number of secondees from other Government Departments and local government; these staff retain the leave entitlement of their parent organisation.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the public service agreement target for bench marking a single unit cost measure for operational work to establish an interim figure by April 2001 was achieved.

Angela Eagle: The Public Service Agreement was launched in April 2001.
	The Home Office does not have a Public Service Agreement (PSA) target for benchmarking a single unit cost measure for operational work to establish an interim figure in April 2001.

Video Recordings (Criminal Prosecutions)

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what use is made of video recordings made on public transport vehicles in the prosecution of criminal offences including traffic offences by the Metropolitan police; if he plans an extension of such use; and if he will make statement.

John Denham: Images from closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras on public transport vehicles are used primarily to tackle crime on the vehicles themselves. I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that CCTV is a key element of Operation Seneca which is currently targeted at reducing crime on selected bus routes. It has led to a number of arrests for crimes such as robbery, disorder, drugs possession and weapons offences, and has also resulted in a considerable decrease in reported crime on the routes concerned.
	CCTV cameras are also used to identify bus lane infringements, although these are not criminal offences. Traffic offences are enforced by means of speeding and red light cameras.
	Any plans to extend the use of CCTV on public transport vehicles in London would be an operational matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

Community Group Funding

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what initiatives the Government have taken to (a) reorganise and (b) simplify access to state funded competitive grant schemes for (i) community and (ii) voluntary groups;
	(2)  whether a particular Minister has been given specific responsibility for rationalising and simplifying access to state funding for voluntary and community organisations;
	(3)  how the Government will measure the success of their initiatives to simplify access to state funding for voluntary and community organisations; and how progress will be monitored and reported;
	(4)  what research the Government have conducted into the administrative requirements on voluntary and community organisations making applications to the system of state funded competitive grant schemes.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 24 January 2002
	In drawing up the Compact on Relations between Government and the voluntary and community sector in England, Funding Code, the Home Office took note of the report of the Commission on the future of the voluntary sector, published in June 1996, entitled "Meeting the challenge of change: voluntary action into the 21st Century", and provided funding to the National Council for Voluntary Organisations to conduct an extensive consultation with the voluntary and community sector and Government Departments.
	The study currently being undertaken by the Regional Co-ordination Unit (RCU) into improving access to regeneration and community funding consulted over 100 bodies and individuals, examined examples of differing administrative requirements imposed on funded bodies; and considered relevant previous research.
	The recommendations arising from the RCU's study of regeneration funding are designed directly to simplify access to state funded competitive grant schemes for voluntary and community groups. In addition, my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, is also currently reviewing the scope for improving the co-ordination and delivery of state funded grant schemes for the community and voluntary sectors.
	The success of these various initiatives will be measured by the numbers and quality of applications received for individual programmes, a reduction in the number of ineligible applications, success in reaching targeted groups, such as marginalised and minority ethnic groups, and in the use made of the website. Monitoring will be undertaken by the departments managing individual programmes. The Active Community Unit is currently devising a common evaluation framework by which the success of simplification of small grants will be measured.
	There is no one Minister with specific responsibility for the rationalising and simplification of access to state funding for the voluntary and community sector, although I have responsibility for the Active Community Unit and will be taking a particular interest in this issue.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in each London borough in each three month period since their introduction.

John Denham: Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) are community-based civil orders, which can be applied for by the police or local authority, in consultation with each other against an individual or several individuals whose behaviour is antisocial. Applications are to the magistrates court acting in its civil capacity.
	Information held centrally on the number of Antisocial Behaviour Orders issued up to 31 May 2000 is by police force area. Up to that date there were nine ASBOs issued within the Metropolitan Police area (including City of London).
	From 1 June 2000 official statistics on the number of ASBOs issued are based on quarterly returns from Magistrates Courts Committees (MCCs) and are presently designed not to give figures below MCC level. A review of these statistics identified an undercount and my Department therefore undertook an exercise with the police to obtain more reliable figures. As a result of this reconciliation exercise the total number of ASBOs issued within England and Wales up to the end of September this year was 466, 184 more than previously reported. Within this total the quarterly figures for the Greater London Magistrates' Courts Authority are:
	
		
			 Period Total 
		
		
			 June 2000 0 
			 Quarter ending September 2000 10 
			 Quarter ending December 2000 9 
			 Quarter ending March 2001 4 
			 Quarter ending June 2001 4 
			 Quarter ending September 2001 4 
			  
			 Total 31

Mobile Phone Theft

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will compel mobile telephony companies to register the user's home address, e-mail and landline telephone number on their SIM cards.

John Denham: holding answer 21 January 2002
	The Government believe that valid registration can help combat mobile phone theft by identifying the customer with his or her phone in order to authorise the blacklisting of stolen SIM cards or, where technically possible, the disabling of the stolen handset itself. It is already the case that contract phone users are required by all mobile phone operators to register their details and that the Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card inside each mobile phone identifies the user with a full name, address and landline number (if available).
	Registration of pre-pay mobile phones is not at present compulsory. This is partly due to the European Community Communications Data Protection Directive 97/66 which encourages the development of telecommunications service options which allow anonymous or strictly private access, and also because compulsory registration may disadvantage low income users, who may be of no fixed abode. Orange is the only operator to require registration details from its pre-pay customers. We are encouraging the other major operators, which all have voluntary registration schemes for pre-pay customers, to enhance take-up of these schemes. We will keep the need for legislation under review on this and other measures.

Police Firearms

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the terms of reference of the Review of Police Use of Firearms being undertaken by the Police Complaints Authority will enable its members to consider (a) international norms for the use of lethal force set out by the United Nations, (b) the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights on 4 May 2001 in Shanaghan v. UK and other cases finding procedural shortcomings in police investigations and (c) experience gained by the Police Ombudsman in Northern Ireland.

John Denham: To address the terms of reference of the review of recent firearms incidents, the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) will consider the key issues in the United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials (1990) with particular attention to paragraphs 10, 22 and 23, and the key conclusions from the Shanaghan case. The PCA has also written to the Police Ombudsman in Northern Ireland requesting information on relevant cases and general conclusions from their experience to date.

Fireworks

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people were charged with offences relating to the misuse of fireworks in the last six months;
	(2)  how many complaints were received by each police force in the UK relating to firework incidents during the Christmas and new year period.

John Denham: The available information, from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database, relating to England and Wales for 2000 is shown in the table. These data show persons proceeded against for offences where it is possible to identify specific firework misuse. Statistics for 2001 are not yet available.
	Information held centrally does not enable offences involving personal injury or damage to property from fireworks to be identified, as the circumstances behind any offence are not collected.
	No information is collected centrally on complaints received by police forces relating to firework incidents.
	
		Persons proceeded against for offences relating to the misuse of fireworks England and Wales 2000(1),(2)
		
			 Statute/offence description Proceeded against 
		
		
			 Explosives Act 1875, sec. 80  
			 Throwing, casting or firing any fireworks in or into any highway, street etc. public place 61 
			   
			  Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol, etc.) Act 1985, sec. 2A(1) 
			 Being in possession of fireworks etc., in or when entering a designated sports ground 3 
			  
			 Total 64 
		
	
	(1) These data are on a principal offence basis.
	(2) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data these data are not robust at a detailed level and have been excluded from this table.

Police Pay

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the proposed introduction of (a) threshold payments, (b) special priority payments and (c) bonus payments to police officers; and what representations he has received from the Police Federation about the additional payments element of the Police Reform Programme.

John Denham: The Police Negotiating Board (PNB), on which both the Secretary of State and the Police Federation are represented, reached agreement in principle on 27 December 2001 on a package of changes to police pay and conditions of service. The changes are set out in the Heads of Agreement.
	The changes include a new competence-related payment of £1,002 at the top of each of the federated ranks' pay scales. It is expected that at least 75 per cent. of those eligible—that is, those who have spent at least a year at the top of the scale—will receive the payment.
	Under the new special priority payments scheme, officers could qualify for one-off payments of between £500 and £5,000 a year. Chief officers and police authorities will draw up a local scheme of payments, in consultation with local staff associations, having regard to national criteria and to guidance from the Secretary of State. The national criteria are that posts carry a significantly higher responsibility than the norm for the rank; or are particularly difficult to fill; or have specially arduous working conditions. All parties in PNB recognise that there are a number of specialist posts where long hours are a necessary and integral part of the officers' role rather than due to management failure.
	In addition, chief constables will be able to award bonuses of between £50 and £500 for occasional work of an outstandingly demanding, unpleasant or important nature, such as hostage negotiation, or fingerprinting and searching badly decomposed bodies.
	The Police Federation was party to the negotiations in PNB when it had the opportunity to make representations on all the proposed new payments.
	The Heads of Agreement have to be ratified by the end of February.

Speeding Fines

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total sum obtained from speeding fines in the last year for which figures are available was; and what the figures were in each of the previous 10 years.

John Denham: holding answer 14 January 2002
	Information on the revenue raised from speeding fines is not available.
	However, the table shows the total number and amount (£) of fines ordered to be paid following conviction for speeding offences within England and Wales from 1991 to 2000. As the majority of such offences are dealt with by the issue of a fixed penalty, the table also shows the total amount of fixed penalties ordered to be paid.
	Not all fines and fixed penalties will have been paid.
	All fixed penalty fine revenue is passed to Her Majesty's Treasury. However, in April 2000, eight partnership areas, comprising local police forces, local authorities, highways authorities and magistrates courts, piloted a new 'netting-off' scheme. This allows a proportion of the fixed penalty fine revenue from speed and red-light cameras to be re-invested to fund camera enforcement. Fine revenue is used to meet each of the partners' costs in relation to the administration, purchase, installation, operation and maintenance of the cameras.
	
		Fines and fixed penalties data for speeding offences, England and Wales, 1990–2000
		
			  Court proceedings Fixed penalties  
			  Number of fines Total amount of fine (£) Average fine (£) Number of tickets Estimated revenue (£)(3) 
		
		
			 1991 155,300 13,198,000 85 449,200 14,374,000 
			 1992 146,800 12,697,000 87 460,100 17,485,000 
			 1993 98,200 12,475,000 127 394,800 15,790,000 
			 1994 103,100 11,676,000 113 472,500 18,899,000 
			 1995 117,000 12,512,000 107 530,200 21,207,000 
			 1996 127,900 12,904,000 101 595,100 23,802,000 
			 1997 130,600 15,523,000 119 712,800 28,510,000 
			 1998 151,400 20,369,000 135 781,000 31,240,000 
			 1999 151,200 19,978,000 132 825,300 33,011,000 
			 2000 139,200 18,098,000 130 1,023,500 44,351,000 
		
	
	(3) 'Estimate' based on the following fixed penalty charges—£32 up to 31 March 1992, £40 up to 31 October 2000 and £60 as from 1 November 2000

Gerald Mutketiwa

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has received on the treatment of Zimbabwean citizen, Mr. Gerald Mutketiwa, subsequent to his deportation of 16 December; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: I have written to my hon. Friend today.

CCTV (Uxbridge)

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many CCTV schemes are operating in the Uxbridge constituency.

John Denham: The Home Office only holds information about schemes we fund. To date the Home Office has not funded any closed circuit television (CCTV) schemes in the Uxbridge area.
	However, the Hillingdon Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership have been allocated funding under the Communities Against Drugs (CAD) Initiative, in order to tackle drugs markets and drugs related crime and disorder. CAD money can be used to fund a variety of interventions including CCTV where appropriate.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Parliamentary Questions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many answers to parliamentary questions have not been answered by her Department under exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information in each year since 1994.

Kim Howells: holding answer 22 January 2002
	Questions that have not been answered under exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information are detailed in the Reports on Ministerial Accountability and Parliamentary Questions published by the Select Committee on Public Administration (formerly the Public Service Select Committee). The most recent report covers the parliamentary Session 2000–01.
	I understand that copies of these reports are available in the Library of the House and on the House of Commons website at www.publication.parliament.uk/pa.

Departmental Secondments

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in her Department have been seconded to jobs in the (a) private and (b) public sector in each of the last four years.

Kim Howells: The information is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Private sector Public sector 
		
		
			 1998 4 14 
			 1999 3 16 
			 2000 3 14 
			 2001 2 22 
		
	
	In answering this we have quoted the number of secondments which commenced, were continuing or completed in the given year.

Departmental Salary Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of the departmental expenditure limit in 2001–02 will be accounted for by salary costs and pension contributions.

Kim Howells: On the basis of the Department's current expenditure limit for 2001–02, salary costs and pension contributions are forecast to account for 1.26 per cent. of the Department's departmental expenditure limit in 2001–02.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Autism

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to review (a) disability living allowance and (b) carer's allowance for sufferers of autism and their families.

Maria Eagle: We keep the operation of disability living allowance (DLA) and invalid care allowance (ICA), like other social security benefits, under review. Last autumn we announced a package, worth £500 million over three years, to enhance the current social security provision for carers and improve their financial security. For DLA, we have recently made significant improvements to the claim form, we are currently revising all the forms used to obtain relevant information from doctors, health care professionals and others involved in the care of claimants, and in consultation with organisations representing disabled people, are testing an alternative system for extra-costs disability benefits based on activities for managing life. There are no plans to carry out a review of these benefits specifically directed towards people with autism and their families.

Post Office Card Accounts

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will allow all pensioners and benefit recipients automatic entitlement to a post office card account on conversion to automated credit transfer, with an opt-out for those who choose a bank account.

Malcolm Wicks: No. As my hon. Friend the Minister for E-Commerce and Competitiveness explained in his reply on 17 December 2001, Official Report, columns 119–20W, the emphasis of the automated credit transfer migration and marketing strategy will be to ensure that each customer has the best account for his or her circumstances.
	If customers do not have a bank account, we will provide them with information on the types of accounts available, including standard and basic bank accounts and post office card accounts, and help them make the best choice for their circumstances.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Remuneration

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will estimate the number of individuals in her (a) Department, (b) related agencies and (c) related non-departmental public bodies whose annual remuneration including benefits in kind exceeded (i) £100,000 and (ii) £200,000 in each of the last four years.

Clare Short: For the four years in question the figures are as follows:
	(a) As at 1 April 1998
	One individual had an annual salary in excess of £100,000. No individual had an annual salary in excess of £200,000.
	As at 1 April 1999
	one individual had an annual salary in excess of £100,000. No individual had an annual salary in excess of £200,000.
	As at 1 April 2000
	One individual had a salary in excess of £100,000. Another whose salary was less than £100,000, but who was serving overseas, received a remuneration package which included relocation expenses, a tax free cost of living addition for serving overseas, hardship allowance, and education expenses for children in the UK, which meant their total remuneration exceeded £100,000. No individual had an annual salary in excess of £200,000.
	As at 1 April 2001
	Three individuals had a salary in excess of £100,000. Another whose salary was less than £100,000, but who was serving overseas, received a remuneration package which included a tax free cost of living addition for serving overseas and a hardship allowance, which mean their total remuneration exceeded £100,000. No individual had an annual salary in excess of £200,000.
	(b) DFID has no related agencies.
	(c) I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, on 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 253W.

Anti-personnel Mines

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps her Department has taken to promote the convention on the prohibition of the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines.

Clare Short: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office leads on promoting the Ottawa Convention. It does so by playing a full role in the follow-up process, including taking suitable opportunities to lobby States non-party to the convention about the desirability of ratification or accession.
	DFID helps developing countries implement their obligations under the Ottawa Convention. We do this by undertaking programmes of humanitarian mine action, in particular mine clearance, stockpile destruction, raising mines awareness and strengthening indigenous capacity.
	My Department also works to strengthen the international community's capacity, particularly that of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)—to provide a more coherent, timely and cost-effective response.
	In the current financial year DFID expects to spend approximately £10 million in pursuit of these objectives.

Tanzania

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what work her Department is undertaking to help improve the standard of school facilities in Tanzania.

Clare Short: DFID funded a pilot project to help the Government of Tanzania trial a decentralised system for primary classroom construction. This system has now been adapted and is being used as the mechanism for the major construction programme now being undertaken in Tanzania (15,000 new classrooms a year).
	DFID is now providing support to the education sector in Tanzania directly through the budget. This means that we are assisting the Government of Tanzania to provide additional resources into the education sector, which is then spent on priority activities designed to improve the quality of education in Tanzania. The first success is evident in the dramatic increases in enrolment to the first grade of primary school in January this year.

Departmental Salary Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the departmental expenditure limit in 2001–02 will be accounted for by salary costs and pension contributions.

Clare Short: Our current forecasts show that salary costs and pension contributions will account for approximately 1.4 per cent. of DFID's departmental expenditure limit for 2001–02.

Afghanistan

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether there are United Kingdom-sponsored aid workers operating in areas of Afghanistan subject to recent attacks with cluster bombs; and what guidance has been issued by her Department to aid workers on safety in relation to unexploded sub- munitions.

Clare Short: There are agencies receiving DFID support that are working in areas of Afghanistan where cluster bombs have been dropped. We are aware of the particular dangers that threaten the security of aid workers in Afghanistan, including the threat posed by unexploded ordnance. We are actively supporting our partner agencies in joint efforts to improve the security of their programmes and safety of their staff. This is being done through sharing information available on particular threats—including the location of areas where cluster bombs have been dropped—and by supporting field security training and practical security arrangements.
	In addition, we are supporting the Office of the UN's Security Co-ordinator (UNSECOORD) to enhance the security framework for aid personnel in the region. We are also supporting the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) programme in Afghanistan. This includes both the clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance, and an expanded programme of mine awareness initiatives in collaboration with UNICEF and NGOs.

Departmental Leave Entitlements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what has been the average annual leave entitlement of staff in her Department in each of the last four years.

Clare Short: It would involve disproportionate cost to the Department to calculate the average leave entitlement of staff for the last four years. The list sets out the leave allowances of staff by grade:
	
		
			 Grade Annual leave 
		
		
			 Senior civil service 30 working days 
			 Band A 30 working days 
			 Band B 22 working days rising to 25 days after one year and 30 days after 10 years total service 
			 Band C 22 working days rising to 25 days after one year and 30 days after 10 years total service 
		
	
	These allowances have not changed over the last four years.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Statutory Instruments

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the President of the Council whether the Government intend to improve the explanatory material supplied with statutory instruments.

Robin Cook: I am pleased to announce that, with effect from 1 March, all affirmative statutory instruments laid before the House will be accompanied by an explanatory memorandum, which will be a fuller document than the existing explanatory note. This is intended to assist Parliament in considering the instrument. The new memoranda will be in addition to the explanatory notes, which will continue to be printed with statutory instruments.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

Rolling Stock

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on progress in the replacement of slam-door rolling stock on the railways.

David Jamieson: Orders have already been placed for a total of 1,235 new vehicles to replace Mark 1 slam door stock. We expect a further order to be placed shortly. All these vehicles are due to enter service before 2005.

New Train Routes

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many proposals for new train routes have been presented to his officials from London local authorities in the last five years.

David Jamieson: Ministers have received a wide range of representations, especially in relation to Crossrail extensions to the East London line and rail links to London airports. Precise information is not held centrally.

New Train Routes

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what investment in new train lines is planned in each of the next five years within London.

David Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority's Strategic Plan sets out for the first time the committed projects which are being taken forward network-wide over the next 10 years. Copies of the plan have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Rail Passenger Partnership

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  how much new money has been allocated to the rail passenger partnership in the SRA strategic plan;
	(2)  what proportion of the money announced for the rail passenger partnership scheme has been allocated;

David Jamieson: At December 2001, £45 million had been committed. The rail passenger partnership has now been enlarged with an increased budget of £430 million.

Rail Investment

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much investment took place in the railways in each year between 1991 and 1997; and how much was met by public funds.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to Table 4.2 of the strategic rail authority's quarterly national rail trends bulletin for an historic series of investment in the rail industry. Government support to the rail industry is shown in Table 4.1 of the same bulletin.

Rail Investment

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the total level of private investment, less public expenditure supporting private investment, was in the railways for each year 2001–02 to 2010–11 as (a) allocated in the 10 year transport plan of July 2000 and (b) allocated in the strategic rail authority's plan of January 2002 at (i) outturn prices and (ii) 2000–01 prices.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to Table A3 of the 10 year plan for transport and to the written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Amber Valley (Judy Mallaber) on 29 January 2002, Official Report, columns 177–78W.

Rail Investment

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what is the total spending on the railways each year between 2001–02 to 2010–11 as (a) allocated in the 10-year transport plan of July 2000 and (b) allocated in the Strategic Rail Authority's plan of January 2002, at (i) outturn prices and (ii) 2000–01 prices.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) on 23 January 2002, Official Report, columns 871–72W, and to my hon. Friend the Member for Amber Valley (Judy Mallaber) on 29 January 2002, Official Report, columns 177–78W.

Channel Tunnel Freight Services

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many freight services used the channel tunnel in each month since January 2000.

David Jamieson: The figures for the number of trains are in the following table provided by EWSI, the UK operator of these services:
	
		
			  2000 2001 
		
		
			 January 522 615 
			 February 632 621 
			 March 688 657 
			 April 616 395 
			 May 633 672 
			 June 656 676 
			 July 671 637 
			 August 464 503 
			 September 595 586 
			 October 618 594 
			 November 661 291 
			 December 551 255

Train Operating Companies

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps his Department has taken to ensure that money received in payments from train operating companies is reinvested directly into the railways; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: All additional receipts received so far from performance regimes will be used to contribute to expenditure within the SRA budget, allowing greater activity to be undertaken than would otherwise be the case.

Railtrack

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether he has received representations from parties other than Railtrack about the funding provision for Control Period 2.

David Jamieson: Rail funding provision for the first two years of Control Period 2 (CP2) was set in Spending Review 2000 and in the 2 April 2001 agreement between the Government and Railtrack. That for the last three years of CP2 will be set in Spending Review 2002, for which I have received representations from the Strategic Rail Authority who have, in turn, received representations from various rail industry interests.

Railtrack

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 11 December 2001, Official Report, column 784W, on minimum track standards, what proportion of track did not meet the minimum required standard for the (a) 35mm rail top profile and (b) 70mm rail top profile (i) in each year since 1994 and (ii) predicted for each year up to 2011, as illustrated in Figure 26 of the Railtrack Network Management Statement 2000.

David Jamieson: Railtrack's progress in improving track geometry is measured against the target agreed with the Rail Regulator as part of the periodic review for the second control period, which came into effect on 1 April 2001. The measured values reported at the end of the last financial year to enable comparison with the agreed target improvement programme are given in Table 3.2 of Railtrack's 2001 Network Management Statement Part One.

Train Drivers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many drivers were employed on the railways (a) immediately before privatisation and (b) at the most recent date for which figures are available.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) on 28 January 2002, Official Report, column 54W.

Crossrail

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what parts of Crossrail he estimates can be implemented while Railtrack is in administration.

David Jamieson: The Crossrail project definition work currently being undertaken jointly by the Strategic Rail Authority and Transport for London will continue on the same basis as before Railtrack administration. It has always been expected that a special purpose vehicle would be set up to take forward any scheme which might be developed as a result of the project definition work.

Rail 10-year Plan

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list those projects in the SRA 10-year plan that he estimates can be implemented while Railtrack is in administration.

John Spellar: There is no reason in principle why any proposal contained in the Strategic Plan should not be capable of being implemented while Railtrack is in administration.

Leominster Station

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he plans to install disabled access to the southbound platform at Leominster station.

David Jamieson: While the northbound platform at Leominister station is accessible I am not aware of any current plans to make the southbound platform accessible to those with disabilities. The SRA makes available funding to ensure train operating companies are resourced, where necessary, to implement the requirement of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 on access to stations.

Rail Safety

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the legislation which allows the prosecution of (a) train operating companies, (b) train drivers and (c) Railtrack in relation to passing signals at danger.

David Jamieson: The Health and Safety law allowing prosecution following a signal passed at danger (SPAD) is as follows:
	
		
			   Legislation allowing prosecution of:  
			   Railtrack Train operators Drivers 
		
		
			 Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Yes Yes Yes 
			 Railways (Safety Case) Regulations 2000 Yes Yes No 
			 Railways (Safety Critical Work) Regulations 1994 Yes Yes No 
			 Railway Safety (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 1997 Yes Yes No 
			 Railway Safety Regulations 1999 Yes Yes No 
		
	
	In addition the Crown Prosecution Service can prosecute drivers and employers of drivers for manslaughter, and drivers for being under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Rail Safety

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the (a) date, (b) location and (c) level of penalty of all incidents of signals passed at danger that have resulted in prosecution of (i) train operating companies and (ii) Railtrack in each year since 1995–96.

David Jamieson: Great Western Train Co Ltd. was fined £1.5 million at the Old Bailey on 27 July 1999 following a collision due to a signal passed at danger at Southall on 19 September 1997.
	There have been no prosecutions of Railtrack.

Rail Safety

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 10 December 2001, Official Report, column 586W, on rail safety, whether the supervision of rail signal boxes will be monitored by the Health and Safety Executive.

David Jamieson: The supervision of rail signal boxes is a matter for Railtrack.

Rail Safety

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps (a) his Department and (b) the Health and Safety Executive have taken to reduce the total number of signals passed at danger within categories three to eight in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: Details of actions being taken by the rail industry to reduce the total number of SPADs, including serious SPADs, are reported in the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) monthly SPAD reports which are held in the House of Commons Library and are published on the HSE website http://www.house.gov.uk/ railway/spad/index.htm.
	On 23 January HSE also published three reports which set out the steps being taken to reduce SPADs: Report on the assessment of Railtrack's response to an Improvement Notice covering the "Top 22" signals passed most often at danger (for the period 1990–98); Report on the assessment of Railtrack's management of multi-SPAD signals; and HMRI's inspection of driver management in train operating companies.

Railway Policy

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the roles are of each member of staff within his Department with (a) total or (b) partial responsibility for policy on the railways, (i) as of June 1997, (ii) as of May 2001 and (iii) as of January 2002.

David Jamieson: It is neither customary nor practicable to publish individual civil servants' job descriptions.

Railway Policy

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what changes 
	(1)  have taken place since June 2001 in the (a) role, (b) organisation, (c) structures and (d) staff numbers and roles of the Railway Directorate within his Department; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  in the (a) role and (b) terms of reference of the Railway Directorate within his Department have taken place since May 1997; what changes are planned; and what consultations on changes (i) have taken place since June 2001 and (ii) are planned.

David Jamieson: In October 2001, the Department's Railways Directorate was divided into two units: the Rail Delivery Directorate and the Railways Restructuring Directorate. The division reflected the increase and refocusing of work following the placing of Railtrack plc into administration on 7 October. There was no public consultation on the change.
	In June 2001, 57 people worked in the Railways Directorate. Seventy-nine people now work in the two directorates.

Automatic Train Protection Systems

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many trains were fitted with automatic train protection systems in (a) January 2001, (b) July 2001 and (c) January 2002.

David Jamieson: Although figures are not available for the precise months requested, the Health and Safety Executive advises that the Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS) has been retro-fitted to existing stock on the following basis: 427 trains by May 2001, 1,117 trains by August 2001, 1,993 trains by November 2001 and 2,259 trains by January 2002. All new trains are being delivered with TPWS fitted. British Rail Automatic Train Protection (BR-ATP) is fitted on all First Great Western, Chiltern Line and Heathrow Express trains.

London Underground

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many meetings he had with London Underground in December 2001.

David Jamieson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions meets bodies with an interest in London Underground on a regular basis.

London Underground

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when Transport for London is expected to take over the running of London Underground.

David Jamieson: The Government's intention is that London Underground Ltd. will be transferred to Transport for London after the competitions to modernise the underground's infrastructure have been completed.

Transport Projects (Uxbridge)

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what transport infrastructure projects have been given formal approval since 1997 which affect the Uxbridge constituency; and if he will estimate the cost of each project.

David Jamieson: Comprehensive information is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the following information may be helpful. Bus Projects
	Ruislip station: refurbishment of bus stands—£100,000—February 2002.
	Mount Vernon hospital: refurbishment of bus stands—£220,000—April 2001.
	"Countdown" real-time information displays at bus shelters have also been provided at 30 stops in the borough since 1997.
	Source:
	London Buses
	
		Road related works: London borough of Hillingdon -- £000
		
			  Maintenance of principal roads Other: Including safety, local works, traffic signals, 20 mph zones, safer routes to school Uxbridge town centre 
		
		
			 1997–98 393 623 244 
			 1998–99 353 631 375 
			 1999–2000 294 558 350 
			 2000–01 342 613 — 
			 2001–02 380 756 — 
			  
			 Total 1,762 3,181 969 
		
	
	Road projects within partnerships and London—wide schemes
	Hillingdon would also have benefited from works funded either on a London-wide or sub-regional basis.
	Source:
	Transport for London Borough Team.
	SRB Funding
	The information we have available indicates that in addition there was SRB funding of the following schemes.
	Hayes Transport Hub—Hayes Hub East/West routes £2.1 million for projects and infrastructure.
	Key Corridors—£1.5 million.
	Source:
	London Development Agency

Railways (Speed Restrictions)

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many speed restrictions were in place on the rail network in each week since 23 October 2000 in (a) Great Britain and (b) each Railtrack operating zone (i) in total and (ii) caused by gauge corner cracking.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 12 December 2001, Official Report, columns 869–70W. At the end of December 2001 there were 644 temporary speed restrictions on the network.

Central Heating

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many households were without central heating by region expressed as an (a) percentage and (b) total number, ranked in descending order according to percentage figures in the latest year for which figures are available.

Sally Keeble: holding answer 30 January 2002
	The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		Whether household has central heating: 2000–01 -- Thousand
		
			 Region In all living rooms and bedrooms In some rooms but not all No Total 
		
		
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1,701 134 320 2,154 
			 North-west 2,229 163 400 2,792 
			 South-west 1,637 182 259 2,078 
			 West midlands 1,692 153 260 2,106 
			 London 2,612 135 288 3,035 
			 South-east 2,874 217 271 3,362 
			 East midlands 1,531 116 121 1,768 
			 East 1,940 177 137 2,255 
			 North-east 1,013 54 41 1,107 
			  
			 England 17,229 1,330 2,098 20,658 
		
	
	
		Whether household has central heating: 2000–01 -- Percentage
		
			 Region In all living rooms and bedrooms In some rooms but not all No Total 
		
		
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 79 6 15 100 
			 North-west 80 6 14 100 
			 South-west 79 9 12 100 
			 West midlands 80 7 12 100 
			 London 86 4 9 100 
			 South-east 85 6 8 100 
			 East midlands 87 7 7 100 
			 East 86 8 6 100 
			 North-east 91 5 4 100 
			  
			 England 83 6 10 100 
		
	
	Source:
	Survey of English Housing, DTLR

Ministerial Transport

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 181W, if he will list the occasions he used the railway service in connection with his official duties prior to 16 November 2001; what station he left from and what the destination was; and when he next expects to use the railway in his official capacity.

Stephen Byers: My arrangements for official travel are made in line with guidance set out in Chapter 7 of the Ministerial Code and the accompanying guidance document travel by Ministers, using the most efficient and cost effective mode of transport, and bearing in mind security considerations. Future travel arrangements will be in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
	The occasions I travelled by train on official duties since my appointment as Secretary of State are as follows:
	16 November 2001: London St. Pancras to Derby
	9 November 2001: Leeds to Newcastle
	8 November 2001: London Kings Cross to Leeds
	6 November 2001: London Euston to Birmingham New Street
	Birmingham to London Euston
	26 October 2001: London Paddington to Exeter St. Davids
	Exeter St. Davids to London Paddington
	19 October 2001: London Kings Cross to Cambridge
	14 September 2001: London Waterloo to Brussels (returning on 15 September)
	1 August 2001: London Victoria to Mitcham
	Mitcham to London Victoria
	6 July 2001: London Kings Cross to York
	4 July 2001: London Kings Cross to York
	Harrogate to London Kings Cross
	19 June 2001: London Victoria to Brighton
	Brighton to London Victoria.
	I also travel by train regularly when not on official business, most recently on 28 January when travelling from Newcastle to London.

Widford Bridge (Chelmsford)

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his reply of 24 January 2002, Official Report, column 1046W, on Widford Bridge, if he will increase the width to make it easier for larger cars and vehicles of under three tonnes weight to travel over the bridge.

David Jamieson: The 6ft 6in width restriction imposed on Widford Bridge is required for safety reasons to prevent vehicles of over three tonnes in weight from using the bridge. The Highways Agency would not wish to see any increase in the width of the restriction, as it would increase the likelihood of over weight vehicles attempting to use the bridge.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Iran

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received from the Iranian Government in relation to the UK's proposed new appointment for ambassador to Iran.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave on 14 January 2002, Official Report, column 4W.

Brussels Process

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 28 January 2002, Official Report, column 37W, on the Brussels Process, if he will place the minutes of meetings under the Brussels Process in the Library.

Peter Hain: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Crausby) on 31 January (UIN 30671).
	Talks under the Brussels Process are confidential. We have made clear the aims and timetable of the Brussels Process. We placed the communiqué from the last Brussels Process ministerial in the Library of the House. We have kept the House fully informed at every stage, most recently in the Government Adjournment debate on 31 January, and we will continue to do so.

Ministerial Responsibilities

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the responsibilities of Ministers in his Department.

Jack Straw: Following the appointment of the Minister for Europe, my right hon. Friend the Member for Neath (Mr. Hain) as the Government Representative on the Convention on the Future of Europe, I have reallocated responsibilities as follows:
	Peter Hain
	European Union, Central Europe, Southern Europe.
	Baroness Symons (also a Minister in the Department of Trade and Industry)
	British trade promotion and policy, North America, Britain Abroad Task Force, inward investment.
	Ben Bradshaw
	Middle east, North Africa, South Asia, South-East Asia, former Soviet Union, international security, non-proliferation and security policy issues, counter-terrorism, visas.
	Denis MacShane
	Latin America, North-East Asia, China and Hong Kong, South-East Europe, drugs and international crime environmental policy, United Nations, human rights, aviation, maritime and energy, science and technology, public diplomacy, cultural relations, central administration and resources.
	Baroness Amos
	Africa, Commonwealth, Caribbean, overseas territories, consular issues, personnel.
	Ben Bradshaw covers for Baroness Amos' portfolio in the Commons (with the exception of Africa). Denis MacShane covers Baroness Symons' portfolio in the Commons (and also Africa).

Gibraltar

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times Spanish fishing vessels have infringed upon Gibraltar's fishing waters; how many times action has been taken against Spanish fishermen in each of the last five years for infringing upon Gibraltar's fishing waters; what action has been taken; and what discussions have taken place regarding fishing rights in Gibraltar under the Brussels Process.

Peter Hain: The Government resumed talks with Spain under the Brussels Process in July 2001: these talks continue. In accordance with the terms of the Brussels Communiqué of November 1984, the talks are aimed at overcoming all the differences between the UK and Spain over Gibraltar and at promoting co-operation on a mutually beneficial basis. The numbers of incursions into Gibraltar's waters by Spanish fishing vessels over the last five years were as follows:
	1997: 54
	1998: 520
	1999: 440, of which 195 were breaches of the 1999 Fishing Agreement between the Government of Gibraltar and the Spanish Fisherman's Association, which permits small numbers of Spanish fishing boats to fish in Gibraltar's waters.
	2000: 196, of which 92 were breaches.
	2001: 196, of which 118 breaches.
	On most occasions when Spanish vessels are advised that they are in breach of the Fishing Agreement and requested to leave, they do so. However, the Gibraltar authorities have taken court action against the crews of Spanish fishing vessels on four occasions.

DEFENCE

Service Pay

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the proportion of (a) non-pensionable specialist pay and (b) basic pay is as a proportion of total remuneration for all service men and women.

Adam Ingram: The cost of these types of pay shown as a proportion of the total remuneration for all regular and reserve service men and women is as follows:
	(a) non-pensionable specialist pay: 1.6 per cent.
	(b) basic pay: 82.5 per cent.
	The remaining 15.9 per cent. of the total remuneration is attributable to other forms of non-specialist pay and compensatory allowances. These figures are based on estimates for financial year 2001–02.

Empty Properties

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his estimate is of the (a) annual cost and (b) total value of the empty properties owned by (i) his Department, (ii) his agencies and (iii) other public bodies for which he has had responsibility in each of the last four years.

Lewis Moonie: The following figures relate to surplus property on the Defence Estate earmarked for disposal in each of the last three years; (figures for 1997–98 are not available).
	
		£ million 
		
			 Year Value Cost 
		
		
			 1998–99 (4)— 21.4 
			 1999–2000 214 21.9 
			 2000–01 273 21.4 
		
	
	(4) Not available
	The costs identified include the cost of works undertaken to prepare empty sites for sale and the marketing costs in addition to the routine upkeep of the empty property awaiting disposal.
	The cost and values of other empty property, including that in the course of refurbishment or redevelopment, are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces (Marital Status)

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Air Force and (c) the Royal Navy have changed from Maristat One in (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) 2001–02 into marital category (1) decree absolute, (2) separated and (3) annulled; what proportion of each service strength this represents in each year; what proportion of each service married strength this represents in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 23 January 2002
	Information on marital status is held on a different system for each service. It is not possible to answer the question exactly as phrased, as the categories specified cannot be isolated in every case. The available information is as follows.
	
		Table 1: Total strength of Army and the numbers who have changed from "married" to other marital status in financial years
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02(5) 
		
		
			 Strength as at 1 April 109,722 110,052 109,531 
			 Married strength as at 1 April 53,473 51,983 50,786 
			 Decree absolute 947 905 634 
			 Annulment 3 2 3 
			 Widow/er 22 17 10 
			 Total 972 924 647 
			 Proportion change from strength (%) 0.9 0.8 0.6 
			 Proportion change from married strength (%) 1.8 1.8 1.3 
		
	
	(5) Data for 2001–02 are to 1 December 2001
	
		Table 2: Total strength of RAF and the numbers who have changed from "married" to other marital status in financial years
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02(6) 
		
		
			 Strength as at 1 April 55,213 54,715 53,699 
			 Married strength as at 1 April 33,318 31,915 30,670 
			 Divorced absolute 3 11 6 
			 Divorced nisi 1 10 5 
			 Widow/er 16 26 10 
			 Separated 1,153 1,036 717 
			 Annulled 0 1 0 
			 Total 1,173 1,084 738 
			 Proportion change from strength (%) 2.1 2.0 1.4 
			 Proportion change from married strength (%) 3.5 3.4 2.4 
		
	
	(6) Data for 2001–02 are to 24 January 2002
	
		Table 3: Total strength of Naval Service and the numbers who have changed from "married" to other marital status in financial years
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02(7) 
		
		
			 Strength as at 1 April 43,701 42,849 42,421 
			 Married strength as at 1 April 21,441 19,094 18,438 
			  Widowed, divorced or separated and providing 
			 care for children living with them 30 19 12 
			 voluntary maintenance/child support 430 387 239 
			 maintenance/child support by court order 2 4 1 
			 Other 272 249 127 
			 Total 734 659 379 
			 Proportion change from strength (%) 1.7 1.5 0.9 
			 Proportion change from married strength (%) 3.4 3.5 2.0 
		
	
	(7) Data for 2001–02 are to 15 January 2002

Warships

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the ability of the Royal Navy to meet its commitments when HMS Sheffield goes into reserve in 2003.

Adam Ingram: The placing of HMS Sheffield at extended readiness will not prevent the Royal Navy from meeting its commitments.

Warships

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to replace HMS Coventry.

Adam Ingram: The decision to withdraw the Batch 2 Type 22 frigate HMS Coventry from service on 31 December 2001 was part of the reduction in overall numbers of frigates and destroyers presaged by the Strategic Defence Review. There are no plans for a direct replacement, but HMS St. Albans, the final Type 23 frigate, which has considerably superior general purpose capabilities, has been accepted from the builders and is currently conducting sea trials as she prepares for full operational service later this year.

Warships

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the fleet has been reduced to 31 ships.

Adam Ingram: The fleet has not been reduced to 31 ships. There are currently 36 major surface ships in service with the Royal Navy. This figure excludes submarines, mine counter-measures vessels, survey ships, patrol craft and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

Service Numbers

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) establishment and (b) current strength is of (i) 1 East of England Regiment, (ii) the Royal Marine Reserve, (iii) the RNR/RNVR, (iv) the Royal Auxiliary Air Force and (v) the Honourable Artillery Company.

Lewis Moonie: The figures are as follows:
	
		
			  Establishment Strength 
		
		
			 1 East of England Regiment 549 (8)590 
			 Royal Marine Reserve 1,070 (9)921 
			 Royal Naval Reserve 3,850 (9)3,215 
			 Royal Auxiliary Air Force 2,156 (9)1,607 
			 Honourable Artillery Company 408 (8)524 
		
	
	(8) As at 28 January 2002
	(9) As at 1 January 2002
	Note:
	The RNVR no longer exists

Asbestos

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many compensation claims from his Department's ex-service personnel for asbestos-related diseases contracted before 1987 have been refused (a) in each year since 1987 and (b) since 1972; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence does not hold the information requested by the hon. Member as claims for compensation from service or ex-service personnel involving asbestos related diseases have not traditionally been recorded separately. The Ministry of Defence does produce a Claims Annual Report, a copy of which is placed in the Library of the House. This document contains additional information on all aspects of common-law compensation claims against the Ministry of Defence, including asbestos-related claims.

Recruitment and Wastage

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the numbers of servicemen who have left at each stage after initial recruitment and before being added to trained strength in each of the last five years.

Adam Ingram: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Those details which are available are set out in the following table. This shows the actual numbers who left during initial recruitment training and this number as a percentage of those who started training. The wastage rates quoted include voluntary withdrawal, medical discharge, discharge by purchase and discharge Services No Longer Required.
	For the Royal Air Force, the IST wastage rates in the table refer to Officers in the ground branches and do not take into account pilots, navigators and aircrew. Training for these groups can take many years and so final wastage rates for these years are not readily available. I will write to the hon. Member with full details of RAF Officer IST wastage rates and I will place a copy in the Library of the House.
	
		
			   1997–98  1998–99  1999–2000  2000–01  2001–02(10)  
			 Service Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			  Royal Navy(11)—Wastage rates  
			 Officers   
			 Overall — 19 — 19 — 16 — 13 — — 
			 Phase 1 — — — — — — — — 12 4.5 
			 Phase 2 — — — — — — — — 18 10 
			 Ratings   
			 Overall — 26 — 25 — 30 — 27 — — 
			 Phase 1 — — — — — — — — 551 23 
			 Phase 2 — — — — — — — — 245 14 
			  Royal Marines—Wastage rates  
			 Officers(12)   
			 Phase 1 15 37 7 16 11 28 17 38 3 5 
			 ORs(13)   
			 Overall 534 57 511 49 567 53 528 48 455 49 
			  Army—Wastage rates
			 Officers   
			 Overall — — 117 16 57 14 99 15 59 14 
			 Soldiers   
			 Phase 1 — — — — — 28 2,586 21 2,111 17 
			 Phase 2 — — — — — 4 270 3 180 3 
			  Royal Air Force—wastage rates  
			 Officers(15)   
			 (IOT) 27 5 28 5 22 4 10 2 n/a n/a 
			 IST(16) — 11 — 14 — 6 — 9 n/a n/a 
			 Airmen(17)   
			 Phase 1 — 10 — 13 — 8 — 10 — 8 
			 Phase 2 — 5 — 8 — 11 — 10 — 4 
		
	
	(10) All figures for 2001–02 cover the period up to 31 December 2001.
	Royal Navy
	(11) RN recruits join the trained strength after completing Phase 1 and Phase 2 training. Phase 1 training is one year for officers and eight weeks for ratings. Phase 2 training averages around 18 months for officers (but up to five years for Aircrew), three years for Artificer Apprentices and eight months for non-technical ratings.
	Royal Marines
	(12) The figures for RM Officers show the wastage rates while undergoing Phase 1 training at CTCRM Lympstone. No figures are available for failures in Phase 2 training; failures during this nine months phase are rare.
	(13) The majority of the RM Other Ranks training wastage consists of those who voluntarily withdraw (historically approximately 65 per cent. of the wastage figure) the remainder being split between those who are unsuitable and those who are medically discharged.
	Army
	(14) Army Officers are considered to have joined the trained strength after leaving Sandhurst when they become part of the UK Trained Army Personnel. Consolidated figures are available only from 1998–99. Soldiers join the trained strength on completion of their Phase 2 trade training. Full details of the number of soldiers who left during initial training are available only from 2000–01.
	Royal Air Force
	(15) RAF Officers, on completion of Initial Officer Training (IOT) which last for 24 weeks, go on to Initial Specialist Training (IST). No IOT or IST wastage rates figures are available yet for 2001–02.
	(16) The OST wastage rates in the table refer to Officers in the ground branches and do not take into account pilots, navigators and aircrew. Training for these groups can take many years and so final wastage rates for these years are not readily available.
	(17) Airmen/airwomen join the trained strength after completion of both recruit training (Phase 1) and trade training (Phase 2). Recruit training is seven weeks. Trade training averages around 40 weeks and can last anything up to two years for specific trades. The percentage figures quoted for trade training wastage in years 2000–01 and 2001–02 give the position as at 31 December 2001; at this date there were still 755 to complete training started in 2000–01 and 1,832 airmen/airwomen who have started in 2001–02.

Cluster Munitions

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies have been carried out by his Department into alternatives to cluster munitions for replacement of the BL 755 when it reaches the end of its service life.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence keeps under continuous review its capability requirements in this area. To date, studies have concluded that the roles currently met by BL 755 are likely to be carried out by a range of different weapons in the future. Some of the roles will be met by existing or planned systems such as Maverick and Brimstone. This work has also concluded that cluster bombs will still retain some utility, particularly against area targets such as storage depots and concentrations of lighter armoured vehicles. No other weapon is currently available to meet the same military objectives. To fulfil the same role as cluster bombs with unitary bombs would require a far greater weight of explosives, which would risk far greater damage than using cluster bombs.

Afghanistan

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether guidance on the handling of prisoners in Afghanistan is issued by each coalition member for its own armed forces; and what standardisation has taken place.

Geoff Hoon: Guidance on the handling of prisoners is properly a matter for the individual detaining power. There has therefore been no standardisation of guidance within the coalition.

Afghanistan

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance has been given to HM forces on the status to be given to any persons they capture and detain in Afghanistan.

Geoff Hoon: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave on 17 January 2002, Official Report, column 392, to my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Harry Cohen).

Afghanistan

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the guidance on the handling of prisoners in Afghanistan issued by his Department takes into account the 1977 Additional Protocols to the 1949 Geneva Conventions.

Geoff Hoon: Yes.

Afghanistan

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether members of Her Majesty's armed forces are operating in areas of Afghanistan subject to recent attacks with cluster bombs; and what guidance has been issued to personnel on safety in relation to unexploded submunitions.

Adam Ingram: Years of conflict have left a wide variety of unexploded ordnance in Afghanistan. Before deployment, members of the armed forces are routinely given advice about the types of munitions they may encounter.

Afghanistan

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether guidance on the handling of prisoners in Afghanistan was updated after the uprising at Qala-I-Jhangi fort.

Geoff Hoon: No.

ASRAAM

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what extra expenditure has been incurred by his Department as a result of the failure of the advanced short-range air-to-air missile to achieve its original in-service date; and if he intends to claim back the extra expenditure from the manufacturer;
	(2)  what the new in-service date for the advanced short-range air-to-air missile is; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 29 January 2002
	The Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) entered service in January 2002. As a result of a delay in the In Service Date, the Ministry of Defence has incurred additional costs of approximately £7 million. These include extra intramural expenditure and costs arising from the need to maintain Sidewinder missiles in service. During the period in question we have also been without the additional capability provided by the ASRAAM missile. Liquidated damages associated with the late delivery of the missiles are being claimed from the manufacturer. Overall, the total procurement cost of ASRAAM remains less than the original approved cost.

ASRAAM

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the series of improved software releases to enhance MBDA's advanced short-range air-to-air missile will cost; when the final improved software releases are expected to be completed; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The cost of the additional software releases to achieve ASRAAM's Full Operational Capability will be borne by the contractor, MBDA UK Ltd. (formerly Matra BAe Dynamics), and is a matter for them.
	The company's aim is to deliver the required missile performance by the end of 2003. If that is not achieved, our agreement with MBDA Uk allows for a further software release.

Nuclear Weapons

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the UK owns nuclear weapons other than the SLBMs.

Geoff Hoon: No. As the 1998 Strategic Defence Review (Cm 3999) made clear, Trident is our only nuclear weapons system.

Nuclear Weapons

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what US nuclear weapons are in the United Kingdom.

Geoff Hoon: Some US nuclear weapons remain based in the UK in accordance with long-standing NATO policy. Nuclear forces based in Europe and committed to NATO provide an essential political and military link between the European and North American members of the Alliance. I am withholding any further details under Exemption 1 (Defence, Security and International Relations) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Nuclear Weapons

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of a replacement to the Trident deterrent when it goes out of service.

Geoff Hoon: We have no current plans for a replacement for Trident, and no decision on any possible successor system is yet needed.

Nuclear Weapons

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many SLBMs the UK owns; and how many warheads are contained in each missile.

Geoff Hoon: The 1998 Strategic Defence Review concluded that the 58 Trident missile bodies already purchased from the USA would be sufficient to maintain a credible nuclear deterrent posture. While I am withholding information on the number of warheads deployed on each missile under Exemption 1 (Defence, Security and International Relations) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, I can confirm that, when on deterrence patrol, Trident submarines carry 48 nuclear warheads.

National Missile Defence

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent meetings he has had with European colleagues regarding US National Missile Defence.

Geoff Hoon: I met with many of my European counterparts at the NATO ministerial meetings in December last year. We discussed a range of issues, including missile defence.

National Missile Defence

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the US National Missile Defence.

Geoff Hoon: I refer my hon. Friend to the remarks made by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces on 16 January 2002, Official Report, columns 137–42WH.

NCOs (Premature Voluntary Release)

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many NCOs who had applied for premature voluntary release had not left the Army as at 1 December 2001.

Adam Ingram: Thirty-two Non-Commissioned Officers are recorded as having applied for premature voluntary release and had not been discharged from the Army or transferred to the Reserve prior to 1 December 2001.

Astute Class Submarines

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the projected in-service dates of the new Astute Class of fleet attack submarines for the Royal Navy are.

Lewis Moonie: The first Astute Class submarine is due to enter into service in June 2005. The remaining two submarines of the Class currently on order will follow at approximately two year intervals.

Armoured Vehicles

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Challenger II tanks, (b) Warrior, (c) Saxon, (d) FV430, (e) Sabre, (f) Scimitar, (g) Striker, (h) Spartan, (i) Sultan, (j) Samson, (k) Samaritan armoured vehicles, (l) Challenger recovery vehicles, (m) Stormer, (n) Shielder, (o) Fuchs NBC vehicle, (p) AS 90, (q) MLRS and (r) M578 were fully operational in (i) the quarter ending 31 December 2001, (ii) the first three quarters of 2001, (iii) each quarter of 2000 and (iv) each quarter of 1999; what percentage of fleet size this represents; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 31 January 2002
	I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Iraq

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions since 1 January 2001 British aircraft have been involved in air to ground action over Iraq.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 31 January 2002
	Between 1 January 2001 and 23 January 2002 UK aircraft patrolling the No Fly Zones released ordnance in self- defence against military targets in the Iraqi Integrated Air Defence System on 15 occasions.
	I regret that due to an error in our records, an incorrect figure of 14 was given in response to a previous question on 16 January 2002, Official Report, column 314W.

War Widows

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to change arrangements which enable war widows to visit the graves of their husbands overseas; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 31 January 2002
	Since 1985, the Government have operated the War Widows Pilgrimage Scheme to help those War Widows who lost their husbands overseas between 1914 and 1967 to make one visit to their husband's grave, provided they have not done so before, at public expense. It is administered on behalf of the Ministry of Defence by The Royal British Legion and the MOD contributes seven-eighths of the costs of a visit. Over the past 17 years, this scheme has enabled over 4,000 widows to make this very special journey and there are no plans to change the arrangements.

Computer Theft

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work his Department has undertaken to explain the reasons for the change in the level of computer theft over the past five years.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 31 January 2002
	Between 1995 and 1999, there were 594 reported thefts of all types of Ministry of Defence computer equipment, including items such as processor boards, keyboards and printers. A total of 267 items were reported stolen in 2000, and 312 items in 2001.
	Our first priority has been to concentrate on reducing the risk of further computer theft and losses, and of enhancing computer security to limit the damage should they occur. From an initial review of the available historical data we assess that there are two main reasons for this increase in the number of reported incidents:
	since 1995 there has been a substantial and sustained growth in the numbers of all types of computer equipment used in support of Defence activity, reflecting a similar trend across Government and in society at large; and
	there has also been a significant increase in the MOD's use of portable computers, which, by their nature, are particularly vulnerable to theft.

Naval Incident (24 January)

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the incident involving a Spanish Government vessel and a British naval vessel on 24 January.

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the incident involving a Spanish Government vessel and a British naval vessel on 24 January.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 31 January 2002
	On 24 January two Spanish Navy patrol vessels entered British Gibraltar territorial waters during an operation by the Royal Navy to tow a suspected unexploded World War 2 bomb into deep water, following its discovery by the Mine Countermeasures Vessel HMS Grimsby during a routine survey. One of the Spanish vessels withdrew once the operation had been completed. The second remained in Gibraltar waters overnight, closely monitoring HMS Grimsby which continued her survey operation. Following contacts between the British Embassy in Madrid and the Spanish Government, this vessel left Gibraltar waters the following morning.

Combat Effectiveness Gender Study

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will publish the outcome of the Gender Study; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 31 January 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 November 2001, Official Report, column 767W.

International Security Assistance Force

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what terms of engagement the International Security Assistance Force will operate under; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: We never comment on the Rules of Engagement for UK forces. However, I can say that they will be robust and consistent with our obligations under national and international law, as will those of the forces of other contributing countries.

Aircraft

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the cost of transporting two Tornados to the Falklands by (a) Antonov 124 and (b) C-17; what assessment he has made of the cost of using the (i) Antonov 124 and (ii) C-17 in operations in Afghanistan; and how many times the Antonov 124 has been leased by the RAF since the operational use of C-17s began.

Adam Ingram: A full assessment has been made of the transportation of Tornado aircraft from the UK to the Falkland Islands. This included options for air-to-air refuelling, airlift charter, ship and C-17. Given all of the constraints, the C-17 was deemed to be the most suitable operational option and the one that gave the best value for money and best value for effort.
	Until mid-January 2002, the threat assessment presented by surface-to-air missiles, specifically to identifiable military aircraft, limited our use of RAF aircraft operating into Afghanistan. The use of civilian Antonovs was less restricted. We therefore, chartered Antonovs for the essential operational movement of vehicles, equipment and supplies. While the C-17 is now being used for airlift to Afghanistan, the size of the task necessitates the continued charter of Antonov aircraft.
	The Antonov has been chartered by MOD on 35 occasions since the delivery of the C-17 in May 2001. All of the tasks have been in support of operations. The C-17 has been used extensively for Operation Bessimer in Macedonia, Exercise Saif Sareea II and other operational tasks associated with Operation Veritas.
	It is not, therefore, a question of a simple cost comparison between the use of C-17 or Antonovs. Both were needed to support operations.

Defence Evaluation and Research Agency

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the staff budget is for DERA in (a) the UK and (b) Scotland; what the value of DERA's total assets is; and what percentage of the assets are in Scotland;
	(2)  how many people are employed by DERA; and how many of these are based in Scotland.

Lewis Moonie: As part of the public-private partnership for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), the DERA Trading Fund Agency was disestablished on 1 July 2001. From its constituent parts two new organisations were created: QinetiQ plc, a wholly Government owned company, and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), an agency of the MOD.
	At 1 January 2002, Dstl employed 3,037 staff in total. Of these, 54 were employed in Scotland. Dstl's current staff budget is £102.7 million of which £1.2 million relates to Scotland. The total value of Dstl assets at end of January 2002 amounted to some £257 million, with just over £0.5 million of this in Scotland, which represents some 0.2 per cent. of the total Dstl assets.

Procurement Expenditure

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total expenditure is for procurement for each of the services; and how much of the procurement budget for each is spent in Scotland.

Lewis Moonie: Figures for the amount the Ministry of Defence spends on defence equipment and non-equipment for the years 1998–99 to 2001–02 are published by the Defence Analytical Services Agency in UK Defence Statistics (available in the Library of the House). These data, which are given in the table, are broadly split by type ie whether it is air, land, sea or 'other' equipment for the years where this information is available. The 'other' category refers to equipment not specific to a particular environment. This division (air, land, sea and other) does not necessarily match the particular end destination of the equipment (ie RAF, Army and Navy). For example, not aerospace equipment is used by the RAF.
	During 1999–2000, we estimate that the MOD spent some £600 million on defence equipment directly with contractors based in Scotland. A breakdown of this into air, land, sea and 'other' is not available.
	
		1.3 principal headings of the Defence budget(18),(19),(20) -- VAT-inclusive at current prices (£ million)
		
			   Outturn Estimate 
			  1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 
		
		
			 Total expenditure/budget 22,475 22,549 23,538r 
			 
			 Expenditure on personnel(21) 8,553 8,509 8,754r 
			 of the armed forces 6,286 6,257 6,500r 
			 of the retired armed forces(21) * * * 
			 of civilian staff 2,267 2,252 2,255r 
			 Expenditure on equipment 9,889 9,715r 10,008r 
			 Sea 2,319 — — 
			 Land 1,665 — — 
			 Air 4,572 — — 
			 Other 1,333 — — 
			 
			 Other expenditure 4,000 4,325r 4,775r 
			 Works, buildings and land 1,759 1,799 1,918 
			 Miscellaneous stores and services 2,274 2,526r 2,857r 
			 
			 Adjusted defence budget(23) 22,475 22,649 23,538r 
			 at 2000–01 prices(23),(24) 23,419 22,973 23,538r 
			 
			 Expenditure on personnel(21) (25)38.1 (25)37.7 (25)37.2r 
			 of the armed forces (25)28 (25)27.7 (25)27.6r 
			 of the retired armed forces(21) (25)* (25)* (25)* 
			 of civilian staff (25)10.1 (25)10 (25)9.6r 
			 
			 Expenditure on equipment (25)44.0 (25)43.1r (25)42.5r 
			 Sea (25)10.3 (25)— (25)— 
			 Land (25)7.4 (25)— (25)— 
			 Air (25)20.3 (25)— (25)— 
			 Other (25)5.9 (25)— (25)— 
			 
			 Other expenditure (25)17.9 (25)19.2r (25)20.3r 
			 Works, buildings and land (25)7.8 (25)8.0r (25)8.2r 
			 Miscellaneous stores and services (25)10.1 (25)11.2r (25)12.1r 
		
	
	(18) Over the last 20 years the coverage of the defence budget has changed in that:
	from 1983–84, it has included accommodation (maintenance and rental) and home publicity;
	from 1990–91, it has included rates on the Defence portion of the UK Civil Estate included in the defence budget;
	from 1991–92, it has included services provided by the Treasury Solicitor and the Inland Revenue;
	from 1993–94, it has included provision for charges for pension cover for currently serving service and civilian personnel but excluded pension payments to retired service personnel; and
	from 1994–95, it has excluded provision for the Security and Intelligence Services.
	(19) All figures in table 1.1 and estimates in table 1.3 were derived from the Supply Estimates for each year. Estimates are 'latest agreed' at time of going to press.
	(20) Figures for 1999–2000 onwards, do not include the air, land sea split for equipment expenditure due to a change in accounting practice.
	(21) From 1990–91 to 1994–95, includes financial assistance to pre-1973 war widows.
	(22) From 1995–96, military aid to overseas countries has been excluded from the NATO definitions.
	(23) The 'Adjusted Defence Budget' takes account of major definitional changes in defence spending and of major transfers of responsibility to and from Government Departments. It therefore provides a more consistent and reliable guide to trends. This is the basis upon which defence spending figures are present in the MOD Departmental Report, the Statement on the Defence Estimates and certain Treasury publications. Totals for 1999–2000 represent final outturn and for 2000–01 estimated outturn. Figures in this line also exclude the element of receipts from the sale of the Married Quarters Estate that were appropriated onto Defence Votes.
	(24) These constant price totals have been calculated using the GDP deflator.
	(25) Percentage of total expenditure/budget.
	Notes:
	1. Defence votes differed from defence budgets:
	by excluding the funding of major works on the Civilian Estate until 1988–89;
	by Appropriations-in-Aid and expenditure not classified as public expenditure; and
	from 1993–94 charges for pensions cover for serving service personnel are Appropriations-in-Aid of Defence Vote 4, (Defence Vote 2 from 1999–2000) and reflected in the 'other adjustments' line of Table 1.1.
	2. Expenditure are based on current market prices; the Defence figure in 1990–91 is net of contributions (about £2.1 billion) from abroad in respect of UK defence activities in the Gulf war.
	3. Figures for 1996–97 and 1997–98 include the element of receipts (£304 million and £700 million respectively) from the sale of the Married Quarters Estate that were appropriated on to defence votes.
	Source:
	MOD Corporate Financial Controller (Corporate Financial Management).

Procurement Expenditure

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent in defence procurement in the last year for which figures are available in (a) the UK and (b) Scotland.

Lewis Moonie: The information requested is contained in the document "Defence Statistics 2001", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Table 1.9 contains data on defence expenditure on equipment by region and nation of the UK.

Pensions

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements have been made with Paymaster to ensure that all recipients of armed forces pensions can receive benefits in cash from April 2000.

Lewis Moonie: No arrangements exist for pensioners to receive benefits in cash under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. From April 2002, however, the weekly Payable Order Book method of payment applicable to some 2 per cent. of all pensioners, will cease. Under the new arrangements they will have the option of having their pension credited to a bank of building society account, or by a voucher sent to their home address encashable through a bank or building society. Both options allow payments to be made on a weekly or monthly basis.

Defence Agencies (Assets)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list defence agencies and (a) the total value of their fixed assets and (b) the value of their fixed assets in Scotland.

Lewis Moonie: Information on Defence Agencies and their fixed assets is contained in the Ministry of Defence (Section 7) of the National Asset Register, published by HM Treasury in July 2001. The region and location of assets is shown where this is relevant. A copy is available in the Library of the House.

Atomic Weapons Establishments

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are employed at each of the atomic weapons establishments in the UK.

Lewis Moonie: As at 31 December 2001, the number of people employed at each of AWE's sites in the UK was as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 AWE Aldermaston 3,320 
			 AWE Burghfield 369 
			 AWE Cardiff 4 
			  
			 Total 3,693 
		
	
	The figures quoted are staff employed by AWE plc. They do not include contractors, Ministry of Defence staff or the MOD Police.

HMNB Clyde

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) civil and (b) military personnel are employed at HMNB Clyde.

Lewis Moonie: The number of civilian and military personnel employed at HMNB Clyde is as follows:
	Civilian: 3,700
	Military: 1,119.

Defence Industry (Employment)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how his Department calculates the number of people employed (a) in and (b) by defence and defence- related industries in the regions of the UK; what multiplier is used; and what the regional totals are.

Lewis Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 November 2001, Official Report, column 766W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Ann McKechin). We are currently reviewing our methodology on the estimation of employment figures dependent on UK defence expenditure and exports. An outline of the existing methodology was provided in Defence Statistics Bulletin No. 3. I am arranging for a copy of this publication to be placed in the Library of the House.
	The latest available direct regional employment figures (which are subject to review) for the Ministry of Defence equipment contracts have been estimated to be:
	
		Thousand 
		
			  1998–99 
		
		
			 United Kingdom 81 
			 England 73 
			 North-east 3 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 5 
			 East midlands 3 
			 Eastern 2 
			 London and South-east 31 
			 South-west 14 
			 West midlands 5 
			 North-west 11 
			 Scotland 6 
			 Wales 1 
			 Northern Ireland 1 
		
	
	Source:
	UK Defence Statistics 2000
	"Direct" employment refers to that occurring directly from equipment contracts placed with UK contractors by MOD. It does not include employment, which is created in sub contractors, and others who supply the main contractor; this is referred to as "indirect" employment.
	The minor differences (shown in the table) between "regions totals" and the "UK total" are due to rounding anomalies.

Royal Dockyards

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) civilian and (b) military personnel are employed at (i) the Royal Dockyard, Rosyth and (ii) the Royal Dockyard, Devonport.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 December 2001, Official Report, columns 968–69W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Baillieston (Mr. Wray) detailing numbers of people employed by the privately owned Royal Dockyards at Rosyth and Devonport. Some 183 Ministry of Defence civilian employees and 15 military are also based at Rosyth Dockyard. In addition, 1,546 civilian and 2,000 military personnel are based at the Devonport Naval Base, which is adjacent to Devonport Dockyard. These figures exclude naval personnel serving on ships and submarines, visiting them or undergoing maintenance at these facilities.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Religious/Sectarian Hate Crime

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures he has taken to consult on how best to tackle religious hate crime and sectarian hatred as an aggravating factor in a range of criminal offences; and what steps he will take to ensure an independent and lay dimension to his review.

Des Browne: I intend to consult shortly on how best to tackle the problems of offending motivated either by racial or religious hatred in Northern Ireland. I understand that an evaluation of the provisions in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, which created categories of racially aggravated offences, is soon to be published, and would like participants in the consultation exercise to be able to draw on the findings in that evaluation when considering their responses. In order to ensure the broadest scope of opinions for consideration, the consultation exercise will include as wide a range of participants as possible, including organisations and individuals working in the statutory, non-statutory and voluntary sectors.

Police/Defence Lawyers Directive

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress the Chief Constable has made in circulating a new directive to cover the role of police and defence lawyers based on the UN Declaration on the role of lawyers; how many copies have been printed; by what means the directive has been distributed; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

Jane Kennedy: The Police Service of Northern Ireland have been engaged in a consultative process on a new direction covering the role of police and defence lawyers. The direction will draw on a range of sources including the Police and Criminal Evidence (NI) Order 1989, Codes of Practice created under the Order, the Human Rights Act 2000 and the UN Declaration.
	It is hoped to issue the direction in the near future. A decision will be made at that time about the extent of publication.

Code of Ethics (Police Service)

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made by the Chief Constable towards the publication of a Code of Ethics for the Police Service of Northern Ireland; and if he will place a copy of the draft Code in the Library.

Jane Kennedy: As required by section 52(3) of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000, the Chief Constable submitted a draft of the Code of Ethics to the Northern Ireland Policing Board, on 31 December 2001. As the Act makes clear, publication of the Code of Ethics is a matter for the Policing Board.
	Before issuing or revising the code the Board must consult the Police Association, the Secretary of State, the ombudsman, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and any other person or body appearing to the Board to have an interest in the matter. I understand that the Board began the formal consultation process on 24 January and that the closing date is 1 April. The Board have kindly permitted me to lay a copy of the draft Code in the Library.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Salary Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of the departmental expenditure limit in 2001–02 will be accounted for by salary costs and pension contributions.

Christopher Leslie: Approximately 40 per cent. of the Cabinet Office departmental expenditure limit (DEL) for 2001–02 (resource and capital) announced on 28 November is budgeted salary costs and pension contributions.
	This estimate of the proportion of 2001–02 DEL accounted for by salary costs and pension contributions could change. Further details of DEL and staff costs for 2001–02 will be published in the forthcoming spring Supplementary Estimate. Actual outturn on staff costs will be published in the forthcoming spring Supplementary Estimate. Actual outturn on staff costs will be published in the Resource Accounts for 2001–02.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Paul Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the loss of interest on notional capital required to cover Export Credits Guarantee Department claims was in each of the years 1997 to 2001.

Patricia Hewitt: ECGD did not employ the concept of notional capital for these years. However from records available, notional interest required to fund claims under ECGD's Account 2 can be calculated as shown in the table.
	
		£ million 
		
			 Year Notional Interest 
		
		
			 1991–92 0 
			 1992–93 0.02 
			 1993–94 0.02 
			 1994–95 1.98 
			 1995–96 2.28 
			 1996–97 3.46 
			 1997–98 3.96 
			 1998–99 5.96 
			 1999–2000 16.09 
			 2000–01 30.29 
			 2001–02(26) 30.71 
		
	
	(26) First nine months.

South East Euro Awareness Forum

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  if she will list the publications issued by South East Euro Awareness Forum, indicating (a) the number of copies produced and (b) the cost to public funds for each item;
	(2)  what the total cost to public funds was of the South East Euro Awareness Forum in each year since its establishment;
	(3)  what the total cost to public funds is of creating and maintaining the South East Euro Awareness Forum website;
	(4)  how many events the South East Euro Awareness Forum has organised (a) in total and (b) in Buckinghamshire; how many participants there were (i) in total and (ii) from companies based in Buckinghamshire at each event; and what the cost to public funds was of each event;
	(5)  how many calls the Euro Help Line set up by the South East Euro Awareness Forum has received (a) in total and (b) from individuals and companies based in Buckinghamshire since its establishment; and what the total cost to public funds of creating and maintaining the service is;
	(6)  how many staff are (a) employed by and (b) on secondment to the South East Euro Awareness Forum, indicating the company seconding staff in each case;
	(7)  how many businesses are listed on the South East Euro Awareness Forum database as intending to trade in euros; and what the cost to public funds of creating and maintaining the database is.

Melanie Johnson: The South East Euro Awareness Forum (SEEAF) is one of 12 Regional Euro Fora across the UK. The Regional Euro Fora are led by senior local business people and include representatives from business, national and local government bodies, as well as key business support bodies such as Chambers of Commerce, Trade Partners UK and Business Links.
	The Fora were formed to increase the level of preparations by SME's for the introduction of the euro in the euro area and to advise about the possible impact on UK business.
	Since its formation in 1998, £222,000 has been allocated to SEEAF.
	The Forum has:
	produced seven editions of their newsletter, with distribution of each issue increasing from 1000 to 75,000, at a cost of £17,600;
	produced 10,000 flyers for insertion into other publications at a cost of £2,215;
	created and maintained a website. Since September 2001 it has received about 46,000 visits;
	organised and attended 40 events for local businesses between September 2001 and 31 March 2002—nearly 600 people have attended events to date; and managed a helpline that has received 320 calls between June 2001 and the end of December;
	engaged the services of a part-time self-employed co-ordinator.
	Information is not available on the number of businesses from Buckinghamshire attending events or contacting the helpline.
	SEEAF does not have a database listing those businesses that intend to trade in euro.

Sub-post Offices

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to boost trade in sub-post offices following the decision to remove the ceiling on the number of post offices card accounts; and what capacity there will be for extending the range of services available, with particular reference to passport forms.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 18 January 2002
	On the matter of the number of Post Office Card Accounts, there has been no ceiling. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Phil Sawford) on 17 December 2001, Official Report, columns 119–20W.
	Post Office Ltd. continually seeks opportunities to widen the network's client base in order to develop new products and services which will benefit customers and to ensure a viable future for the post office network. The horizon automated platform which computerised the whole of the post office network, should help this expansion.
	Post Office Ltd. is already an agent for the United Kingdom Passport Agency.

Crown Post Offices

Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the Crown Post Offices in the United Kingdom, identifying those that are running at a loss.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 15 January 2002
	I understand from Post Office Ltd. that the Crown office network is operated in accounting terms as a single entity, as income is collected centrally from Government and commercial clients.

Second Class Post

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to abolish the requirement for second class post; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 21 January 2002
	Under the terms of the licence issued by the Postal Services Commission to Consignia the company is required to deliver second class post. Any changes to the terms of the licence would have to be authorised by the Postal Services Commission. Consignia has no proposals to withdraw the service and the Commission has no plans to change the licence.

Rural Post Offices

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many rural post offices are barred from handling (a) driving licence and (b) passport applications.

Douglas Alexander: Acting as an agent, Post Office Ltd. is dependent on the level of service required through post offices by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the United Kingdom Passport Agency (UKPA). Currently the UKPA service which checks and dispatches completed passport applications is offered at 2,000 offices and motor vehicle licensing (MVL) services are offered at 4,091 offices. Currently figures indicate that 90 per cent. of people are within one mile of a post office outlet which offers these MVL services.

Manufacturing Research Centres

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many Government sponsored Innovative Manufacturing Research Centres there are in Scotland; and what is the level of funding for each.

Brian Wilson: The Innovative Manufacturing Research Centres (IMRCs) are funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council as part of their Innovative Manufacturing Programme. The first 12 IMRCs were announced in November 2001 and were awarded on the basis of national excellence in manufacturing research. Although none of the 12 initial centres is located in Scotland a tranche 2 IMRC involving Glasgow, Cardiff, Cambridge and Surrey universities has been approved for funding. The start date is currently under negotiation, and Glasgow university are expected to be awarded more than £1 million. Another tranche 2 centre at Heriot-Watt university in the area of Photonics is currently under review.

Parliamentary Questions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many answers to parliamentary questions have not been answered by her Department under exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information in each year since 1994.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 22 January 2002
	The information cannot be readily obtained from the Department's database and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Digital Television

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of television sets installed in the UK are able to receive digital signals; and what percentage the Government regard as a minimum requirement as an installed base before switch-off of analogue transmissions can be effected.

Patricia Hewitt: All television sets installed in the UK are capable of receiving digital signals provided that they have an external set top box or an integrated digital tuner.
	The Government have set three conditions which must be met before the analogue signal is fully switched to digital. These are availability, affordability and accessibility. The availability condition requires that everyone who can currently receive analogue transmissions (99.4 per cent. of the UK population) will be able to receive the equivalent digital signal. The affordability test requires that consumers do not face unacceptable switching costs when converting to digital services. As a target indicator of affordability, 95 per cent. of consumers should have access to digital equipment before switchover is completed.
	When we first announced these criteria in September 1999 we said that digital switchover could start to happen as early as 2006 and be completed by 2010. We remain convinced that this timing is realistic.
	The Digital Television Action Plan, which was issued on 20 December 2001, contains a commitment to review progress towards digital switchover, with particular reference to the accessibility, availability and affordability tests. A first report is due by the end of March 2002.

Steel Industry

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many jobs were dependent upon the steel industry in (a) 2001 and (b) 1997; what measures the Government have introduced since 1997 to help the steel industry; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: The number of jobs directly dependent on the steel industry in 1997 was 35,200 and in 2000, the latest year for which figures are available, was 25,500 1 . The UK steel industry has experienced difficult trading conditions in recent years and many jobs have been lost as a result of restructuring. The Government work closely with representatives of the industry and within the restrictions of the Steel Aid Code, which restricts the provision of aid to the industry, have since 1997, supported a number of measures designed to improve the competitiveness of the sector. In February 2000 Ministers approved £1.6 million to help steel industry representatives to develop the Metals Industry Competitive Enterprise which is designed to introduce lean manufacturing techniques.
	1 Source:
	Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau

Miners' Compensation

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry further to her answers of 26 November 2001, Official Report, column 681W, and 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 866W, on miners' compensation, if she will list the issues impeding responses to mineworkers' claims for compensation for respiratory disease which are not yet resolved; and in each case if she will set out the progress made towards resolving how to make progress with claims affected by these issues.

Brian Wilson: The previous answers related to compensation for surface workers in dusty jobs. The Department is seeking to persuade the Claimants' Solicitors' Coordinating Group to put to our respective medical experts the outcome of the surface dust study we have jointly undertaken. The Department hopes that decisions on liability and compensation can be taken quickly in the light of the experts' opinion. Offers of compensation are already being made to mixed workers who worked both underground and in surface dusty occupations.

Sunday Trading

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what premium pay rates shopworkers received for Sunday working in (a) 1991 and (b) 2000.

Melanie Johnson: No known data sources exist which give premium rates of pay on an annual basis for Sunday shopworkers. However in 1996, a one-off independent survey was conducted on behalf of my Department to study the impact of the 1994 Sunday Trading Act. Based on a sample of about 300 shops, the following findings were given in relation to the payment of premium rates for shopworkers:
	92 per cent. of shops which opened on Sundays before the 1994 Act, paid employees a premium rate. There was no evidence that any shops had stopped paying premium rates after the introduction of the act.
	At the time of the survey in 1996, 50 per cent. of shops paid the premium rate at 'double' time or 'time and three quarters,' 41 per cent. at 'time and a half' or 'time and a quarter' and 7 per cent. received an extra 'flat rate'. Larger shops tended to pay the higher premium rates.
	Following the introduction of the 1994 Sunday Trading Act, 18 per cent. of all shops increased the premium rate, 57 per cent. left the rate unchanged and 25 per cent. reduced the rate.

Sunday Trading

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many shops in Scotland opened on Sunday in (a) 1990 and (b) 1998.

Melanie Johnson: This is a devolved matter for the Scottish Executive.

Christmas Day Trading

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many shop employees worked on Christmas day 2001 in England and Wales.

Alan Johnson: The number of employees working on individual bank holidays can be estimated for the past 12 months from the autumn quarter of the Labour Force Survey. Results for Christmas day 2001 will be available in January 2003 when the autumn 2002 Labour Force Survey results are published.
	It is estimated that 13,000 shop employees worked on Christmas day, Monday 25 December 2000. This is 0.8 per cent. of the total number of shop employees in England and Wales.

Private Finance Initiative

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total external spend by her Department was on Private Finance Initiative consultants in each of the last four years; how many full-time equivalent consultants were employed over this period; how many billed consultancy days there were per year; what the implied average cost of each PFI consultant was; how many consultancy firms were used by her Department over this period; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: The Departments and its agencies have spent the following sums on PFI consultants in the last four years.
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1998–99 2,274,139 
			 1999–2000 1,059,932 
			 2000–01 1,272,451 
			 2001–02 687,017 
		
	
	A total of 26 consultants has been used. Other information on consultancy costs can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Contracts (KPMG)

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contracts her Department has with KPMG; and what the value is of each one.

Patricia Hewitt: DTI has two contracts with KPMG: one for Security Standards accreditation at £19,000 and another for a secondee to assist on Company Law issues at £77,000.

No-strike Agreements

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to negotiate no-strike agreements in the public sector.

Patricia Hewitt: My Department has no powers to negotiate such agreements, except in relation to its own staff.
	I have no plans to negotiate agreements of this nature in relation to DTI staff.

End of Life Vehicles Directive

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what role she (a) has played and (b) will play in the implementation of the EU end of life vehicles directive; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: The Department of Trade and Industry led on negotiation of the directive and continues to lead on transposition and implementations of its requirements. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry continues to be closely involved.

End of Life Vehicles Directive

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what actions she has taken with respect to the EU end of life vehicles directive; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: Our consultation paper on options for implementing the directive stimulated 116 responses. These are being assessed, along with the conclusions and recommendations of the Trade and Industry Committee, with a view to adopting the approach which best suits the UK's circumstances. Our policy is to implement with a light regulatory touch, achieving the environmental objectives of the directive without putting UK business at a competitive disadvantage.

End of Life Vehicles Directive

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will state the date by which she plans to make a decision on where the obligation for the costs of recycling vehicles under the EU end of life vehicles directive will lie; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: Under the directive, producers are required to pay all or a significant part of the costs of take-back and treatment from 1 January 2007 onwards. A decision on who will pay before this date will be made shortly. The directive requires member states to take measures to ensure that economic operators attain certain reuse and recovery, including recycling, targets by specified dates, the first of which is 1 January 2006. Economic operators are defined in the directive as producers, distributors, collectors, motor vehicle insurance companies, dismantlers, shredders, recoverers, recyclers and other end-of-life vehicle treatment operators.

End of Life Vehicles Directive

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the state of the vehicle treatment industry with respect to the standards required under the EU end of life vehicles directive; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: There are approximately 2,500 shredders, dismantlers and scrapyards currently operating under waste management licences and exemptions. The continuing ability of this UK infrastructure to deal with end-of-life vehicles will be of fundamental importance when implementing legislation is written.

End of Life Vehicles Directive

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received from (a) car manufacturers, (b) car manufacturer associations, (c) car importers and (d) other NGOs with regard to the EU end of life vehicles directive; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: Numerous representations have been received from car manufacturers, car manufacturer associations, car importers, and other NGOs during the years since the European Commission first published its proposal for a directive, most recently in response to the Department's consultation paper on options for implementing the directive, and subsequently. A summary of the responses to the consultation paper has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

End of Life Vehicles Directive

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to address the financial effects of the end of life vehicles directive on local authorities in the United Kingdom.

Brian Wilson: holding answer 31 January 2002
	Local Authority Associations and individual local authorities were among the respondents to the DTI consultation paper on options for implementing the end of life vehicles directive. A number outlined the possible financial consequences of the implementation options proposed. We are taking these views into account in developing the final implementation options, including the financial implications for all stakeholders.

Theft and Fraud

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what additional security measures are planned by her Department to deter and detect theft and fraud.

Patricia Hewitt: DTI has a range of various crime prevention measures in place. These include:
	a regime of pass-wearing and escorting visitors;
	security guarded buildings;
	asset marking;
	regular auditing;
	seeking and acting upon crime prevention advice from the police;
	measures to raise staff awareness on crime prevention;
	improved record keeping and investigating the theft of valuable items to see if theft prevention practices can be improved.
	The Department's Fraud Policy and Guidance on Fraud Risks and Prevention are available to all staff and are regularly updated. These make plain the responsibilities of all concerned in relation to fraud as well as the consequences of such misconduct. A "whistleblowing" system is in operation to enable staff to safely report suspected misconduct including fraud or theft. The contact details of the Departmental Fraud Officer are available to all staff should they wish advice on any fraud related issues.
	There are no immediate plans to introduce additional security measures to deter theft or fraud but the situation is kept under regular review and further action could be initiated should circumstances change.

Minimum Wage

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what the current minimum wage level is; and what plans she has to increase this amount;
	(2)  what the minimum wage is for employees under the age of (a) 21 and (b) 16 years;
	(3)  what account she has taken of regional differences in pay in setting the minimum wage; and what plans she has for setting different minimum wages for separate regions.

Alan Johnson: The current minimum wage rates are £4.10 per hour for workers aged 22 or above and £3.50 per hour for workers aged 18–21 inclusive. The Government have agreed that, subject to economic conditions, these rates should increase on 1 October 2002 to £4.20 and £3.60 per hour respectively.
	Workers below the age of 18 do not qualify for the national minimum wage. There are no plans to set different minimum wage rates for different regions.

BNFL

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what independent review of BNFL's liabilities she commissioned prior to her announcement to the House on 28 November 2001.

Brian Wilson: The Department received independent advice on many aspects of BNFL's business, including its liabilities, as part of the work it has undertaken on the company's future strategy.

BNFL

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her answer of 10 January 2002, Official Report, column 153W, on BNFL, if she will list the meetings with ministerial colleagues in which the insolvency of BNFL was discussed.

Brian Wilson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry meets her ministerial colleagues in the Department regularly to discuss a range of matters.

Gas-fired Power Stations

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who in her Department told the United States embassy in London that the moratorium on gas-fired power stations was due to be discussed at the Cabinet meeting of 4 June 1998; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: The Department has no knowledge of any such contact.

Board Appointments

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will outline the procedure by which independent members will be appointed to sit on her Department's (a) new Strategy Board and (b) other boards as announced in November following the outcome of the Department's internal reviews.

Patricia Hewitt: The procedure for appointing the independent members to the Strategy Board will be open and transparent with appointments made on the basis of merit. While the appointments do not fall within the remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, the procedures follow the principles and best practice laid down in the Commissioner's Code. I have employed search consultants to help us with the process.
	The appointments will be advertised on the Department's website which will include an information pack containing details of the full procedure, job and person specification, and how to apply. This information will also explain the process for appointing independent members to an Executive Board, chaired by the Permanent Secretary, and to other Boards across the Department. Analogous procedures to those outlined above will be adopted for all these appointments.
	I see this as an unprecedented opportunity for the Department to benefit from fresh thinking. Candidates will be drawn from a wide range of fields and backgrounds. Their role will not be to represent any particular interest; rather we are looking for people to help us improve internal processes, service delivery and change management. They will not take decisions, but will have an important challenging and advisory role. I will announce the appointments during May.
	In addition, we will shortly be advertising for the posts of Chief Economic Adviser and Director General, Science, Technology and Innovation. Both are Senior Civil Service appointments.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Rural Payments Agency

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place a copy of the revised business case for the Rural Payments Agency in the Library.

Elliot Morley: I am arranging for a copy of the revised Business Case for the Rural Payments Agency to be placed in the Library of the House.

Rural Payments Agency

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many mistakes were made in calculating farming subsidy claims in 2001 by (a) her Department and (b) applicants.

Elliot Morley: This information has not previously been collected. However the Rural Payments Agency, which has a target to pay 98.5 per cent. of all claims accurately, will be carrying out an analysis of its performance during the financial year ending 31 March 2002 using statistical sampling techniques. The results, which will not be available until mid 2002 will be published in the RPA Annual Report.

Rhizomania

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in the review of the UK's protected zone status for rhizomania; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The period for the consultation on the future of the protected zone has now finished and on the basis of replies received and in consultation with officials in the devolved Administrations we have concluded that we should ask the Standing Committee on Plant Health to end rhizomania protected zone status in Great Britain.
	Officials will discuss the implications of this change in status with industry representatives.
	Responses to the consultation will be made available in the DEFRA library at 3–8 Whitehall Place, London, SW1 and a summary placed on the DEFRA website http://www.defra.gov. uk/.

Correspondence

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish figures showing the volume of correspondence received by Ministers in her Department throughout 2001, indicating the target times set for replies and the number of replies sent within those target times.

Elliot Morley: Information on the volume of correspondence from Members of Parliament received by all ministerial agency chief executives, and Departments and agencies and performance in handling them is published annually by the Cabinet Office. The most recent report covering 2000, was announced by the then Minister for the Cabinet Office on 6 April 2001, Official Report, column 324–27W. The report on 2001 correspondence handling figures will be published within the next few months.

Waste Composting

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what plans she has to monitor emissions of methane from waste composting schemes;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the suitability of methane produced by waste composting schemes for use in combined heat and power plants;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the level of methane emissions arising from (a) existing and (b) new waste composting schemes; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: Composting is an aerobic biodegradation process which produces carbon dioxide, and appropriately managed processes will not emit methane. The Environment Agency is currently developing technical guidance on composting operations, which will inform their monitoring of these operations.
	Methane can be obtained from the anaerobic digestion of biodegradable materials (usually in the form of a slurry) and has previously been employed to treat single stream biomass wastes, such as sewage sludge, with energy recovery. However, the indications are that the process is less effective for mixed wastes (such as the organic fraction of municipal solid waste) and is unlikely with the present state of development to be widely applicable to wastes.
	The Department of Trade and Industry is undertaking a project to investigate the sustainability of using methane from waste in small turbines in CHP plants.

Waste Disposal

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many letters her Department has received from residents of the Buckingham constituency (a) in favour of and (b) opposed to 
	(1)  landfill sites in the last year;
	(2)  waste incineration in the last year.

Elliot Morley: Correspondence received from members of the public is not recorded by parliamentary constituency. However, a trawl of the Department's records has not revealed any letters relating to landfill sites received from a Buckingham address in the last twelve months.

Common Agricultural Policy

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of (a) progress with CAP reform ahead of the mid-term review and (b) political and public opinion within EU member states vis-à-vis CAP reform; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The successful outcome of the Doha trade discussions and the statement on agriculture and the recent reforms agreed to the sheepmeat regime represent important steps towards CAP reform.
	We are engaged in informal discussions with the Commission and bilaterally with member states on the possible modalities of changes to the Common Agricultural Policy in the lead up to the mid-term review. It is clear that there are a range of views and equally clear that some key member states have elections in the coming months which may well have an important bearing on the positions taken by those member states in future negotiations.

Meat Imports

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received on (a) the prevention of illegal imports of meat and food and (b) investment in animal disease research; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: We have received a number of representations on the prevention of illegal imports of meat and food from a wide variety of sources, including Members of Parliament, the farming industry and the public. We have introduced a number of new measures aimed at combating illegal imports and will be taking into account the views expressed as we consider what further measures may be appropriate.
	DEFRA receives many approaches about investment in research of all kinds and this information is available to the public via documents and the website. The funding per annum on the Animal Health and Welfare research programme is approximately £37.4 million. This is being kept under review in the light of the FMD outbreak and any inquiry recommendations.

Dairy Products

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has made to the EU Commission to obtain a further increase in export refunds in respect of dairy products.

Elliot Morley: We have continued to remind the Commission of the importance of international trade in dairy products, particularly for Northern Irish producers, and the currently depressed state of the market. As a result, export refunds for skimmed milk powder, whole milk powder and butter were raised again at the Milk Management Committee on 24 January.

Modulation Scheme

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to introduce new sources of funding for the modulation scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Policy Commission on the future of farming and food made ambitious recommendations for a significant increase in the rate of modulation as a vehicle to transfer further CAP moneys out of production subsidies to deliver broader land management and environmental outputs. The Government accept we should now consider this option very carefully indeed. We will also look to secure agreement in the CAP mid term reviews to broaden the scope of what funds generated by modulation can be spent on. Subject to discussions with the devolved Administrations and with European Commission, securing that increased flexibility on modulation will be the Government's objective.

Sustainable Agriculture

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's policy for the development of sustainable agriculture within the United Kingdom; if she will list the elements comprising the policy; and on what time scale she expects changes to be enacted within the agricultural industry.

Elliot Morley: The independent Policy Commission, which was asked to advise Government on how we can create a sustainable, competitive and diverse farming and food sector in England, delivered its report yesterday. Their ideas will make a substantial contribution towards a new Government strategy for sustainable, modern and adaptable farming, which we intend to launch in the summer.
	While responsibility for European and international aspects of policy rests with the UK Government, agriculture policy in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is devolved. The devolved Administrations have their own strategies for the development of their farming industries in their countries.
	Copies of the Report have been placed in the House Libraries and the Vote Office.

Oilseed

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the European Commission's decision to cut oilseed support commensurate with Agenda 2000; and if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on the levels of protein imported in the European Union.

Elliot Morley: The progressive alignment of EU area payment rates for oilseeds with those for cereals is provided for in Council Regulation 1251/99, which implements the decisions on CAP reform taken by the European Council in March 1999, as part of the Agenda 2000 agreement.
	Article 10.2 of the regulation requires the European Commission to submit a report to the Council by 30 June 2002 on the development of the oilseeds market in the light of those decisions. This assessment will therefore form part of the mid-term review of Agenda 2000 later this year.
	In addition, in response to a request from the Agriculture Council in December 2000, the European Commission has already produced a report on the options for increasing EU plant protein production following the Council's decision to ban meat and bone meal (MBM) from animal rations. The report notes that there is a plentiful supply of plant proteins on the world market and that EU is already the world's largest importer of oilmeals. In the light of this, it concludes that the most cost effective and least trade distorting solution is to look to the world market to make-up the gap left by the MBM ban, rather than to subsidise additional EU plant protein production. The Government agree with the Commission's analysis and fully supports the conclusions reached.

Hunting

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the registered figures are for each hunt outing this year in respect of (a) riders and (b) followers under the post foot and mouth reporting rules.

Alun Michael: The information is not available. However, a list of the hunts that have satisfied Divisional Veterinary Managers that they can comply with disease control permit conditions is listed on the DEFRA website on www.defra/gov.uk/footandmouth/rural/hunting/permits.asp.

HEALTH

Stroke Research

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for financing research into strokes in the next three financial years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what priority will be accorded to his Department's policy research and the NHS Research and Development Programme to deal with strokes; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 14 November 2001
	The National Service Framework (NSF) for older people, published in March 2001, outlines a programme of action for the national health service to reduce the incidence of stroke in the population and to ensure that those who have had a stroke have prompt access to integrated care services. A programme of research to underpin the implementation of the NSF is currently being planned by the Department. Funders forums have been established in cardiovascular disease research and in older people's research; research into stroke is likely to be of interest to both.
	The Department's main national programmes of research which includes the NHS research and development programmes and the policy research programme, are currently funding a number of research projects into stroke. These include many projects with forward commitments over the next three years. Details of projects are available on the national research register at www.doh.gov.uk/research/nrr.htm.
	The NHS research and development programme on service delivery and organisation has recently funded a five-year project on "Continuity of care in stroke and its relation to outcomes". A call for proposals has recently been advertised for the NHS research and development programme on the new and emerging applications of technology, which includes stroke as one of the priority areas. Funding will be dependent on the quality of proposals.
	In addition to funding specific projects, the Department also provides and will continue to provide support for research commissioned by charities and the research councils that takes place in the NHS. Much of this will include research on strokes.
	The main Government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for disease is the Medical Research Council (MRC) which receives its funding via the Department of Trade and Industry. The MRC operates in response mode, and it is therefore difficult to predict expenditure over the coming years. However the MRC spent £3.4 million on stroke research in 2000–01 and does not anticipate a major change to this level of support.

Chief Medical Officer (Annual Reports)

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the dates of publication of the annual report of the chief medical officer for the past five years.

Hazel Blears: Sir Kenneth Calman, the then chief medical officer, published his annual report on 25 September 1996, 30 September 1997 and 9 September 1998. Since then no similar reports have been published. Although the previous format served its purpose well in the past, the practice of the report containing descriptions of a wide range of Government policies added to the detailed nature of the reports and such information is well covered in other reports and is freely available on the internet.
	When Professor Donaldson took up the post of chief medical officer in September 1998, he took stock of the publications issued by the chief medical officer and introduced a number of changes. One of these changes was to introduce a new style of report which is shorter, more focused and more accessible. The first use of this new format for his annual report was in December 2001.
	Since his term of office Professor Donaldson has produced a number of major reports including: "An organisation with a memory: report of an expert group on learning from adverse events in the National Health Service"; "Supporting Doctors, Protecting Patients"; "Stem Cell Research: Medical Progress with Responsibility"; "Building a safer NHS for patients" and "The Removal, Retention and Use of Human Organs and Tissue from Post-mortem Examination".

Personal Social Services

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of (a) personal social services SSA per resident over 65 and (b) personal social services SSA per resident below 18 is for (i) Buckinghamshire, (ii) Milton Keynes and (iii) England.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 29 November 2001
	The level of personal social services standard spending assessments (SSA) per resident over 65 and per resident under 18 for Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and England in 2001–02 is as follows:
	
		£ 
		
			   SSA per capita SSA per capita 
			   aged 65 and over aged under 18 
		
		
			 Buckinghamshire 552 88 
			 Milton Keynes 715 145 
			 England 673 172

Community Pharmacists

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his decision to reduce the dispensing fees paid to community pharmacists.

Hazel Blears: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for New Forest, West (Mr. Swayne) on 8 January 2002, Official Report, columns 611–12W.

ERDIP

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the timetable for ERDIP sites to submit proposals under the Modernisation Enabling Project; and what plans he has to invite tenders from outside the Electronic Record Development and Implementation Programme on electronic access to patient records.

Hazel Blears: The modernisation enabling projects identify gaps within the electronic record development and implementation programme (ERDIP). These pieces of work will be for a short timescale and with a minimum amount of funding as a major investment has already been made within the ERDIP programme. These sites have already received various amounts of funding over and above health authority allocations. The Department is currently considering a small number of sites that can do additional work linked to NHS Plan priorities that can be delivered by the 5 April 2002.
	ERDIP is a national co-ordination programme, which seeks to develop solutions to national problems. The purpose of setting up the demonstrator communities was to: demonstrate the achievements in improving health and healthcare through making faster progress in their plans to modernise care, and demonstrating robust techniques and good practice reproducible on a national basis; act as a focus for the identification, definition and testing of standards and good practice; raise awareness of what is possible, and the health and healthcare benefits that can be achieved; and provide learning and feedback for the wider National Health Service community. The two patient access sites at Bury Knowle and Hadfield are an integral part of this programme.
	A key element of the information management and technology strategy is to enable health communities to make decisions on procurement of software and hardware based on existing systems and reflecting local circumstances. The Government are supporting the NHS in this by ensuring that the additional money allocated for the implementation of the targets in 'Information for Health, Building the Information Core' and the NHS Plan reaches the level at which the decisions are taken. A majority of the money therefore goes out as part of health authority allocations.

Care Homes

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of 
	(1)  the cumulative percentage increases in age-standardised projected demand for care home places for older people from 2001 levels, in (a) England and (b) each local authority providing social services, in each year from 2001 to 2011;
	(2)  age-standardised demand for care home places for older people (a) in England and (b) in each local authority responsible for social services in each year from 2001 to 2011.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 14 January 2002
	The Performance Assessment Framework Indicator C26 shows the usage of residential and nursing care homes by each local council in England for people aged 65 and over and indicator C32 the usage of home care. Copies of the 'Social Services Performance Assessment Framework Indicators, 2000–01' are available in the Library.
	Recent work by the Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU) at the London School of Economics, commissioned by the Department, suggests that, in England, residential care places for older people will need to increase by 7.2 per cent. over the period 2000 to 2010 and that nursing care places for older people will need to increase by 7.7 per cent. The research also suggests that home care hours for older people will need to increase by 7.5 per cent. over the same period. These projections assume current patterns of care. The pressures may change as a result of government policies. Projections are not available for each council with social services responsibility or for individual years.
	Further information on these projections and the model on which they are based can be found in the recent report by the PSSRU on "Demand for Long Term Care for Older People in England", published in Health Statistics Quarterly 12, Winter 2001, a copy of which is in the Library.

Care Homes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will require the new strategic health authorities to incorporate in their eligibility criteria the words of Lord Woolf in R v. North and East Devon health authority ex-parte Coughlan on the limits to the powers of social service departments to pay for nursing home places.

Jacqui Smith: The new strategic health authorities (SHAs) will be required to compile eligibility criteria that reflect the guidance issued in June 2001 (Health Service Circular 2001/015:Local Authority Circular (2001)18).
	The guidance itself reflects very closely the Court of Appeal judgment ex-parte Coughlan.
	Paragraph 20 of the guidance makes clear both the limits of the powers of social services departments to pay for nursing home places, and that the content is drawn from the Judgment:
	"The Judgment stated that a local council could provide nursing care under section 21 of the National Assistance Act only where:
	the services are merely incidental or ancillary to the provision of the accommodation a local authority is under duty to provide to those whom section 21 refers;
	and is of a nature which it can be expected to be provided by a council whose primary responsibility is to provide social services."
	The two indents in paragraph 20 of the guidance very closely reflect the words of the judgment at page 12, paragraph 30 (e). It will be for each SHA to determine the wording of their eligibility criteria in light of the guidance.

Care Homes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that no patient receiving free continuing care will be reassessed as falling outside the criteria for continuing care as a result of new eligibility criteria being drawn up for April 2002 by the new strategic health authorities.

Jacqui Smith: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will ensure that new eligibility criteria are drawn up in line with the continuing care guidance issued in June 2001 (Health Service Circular 2001/015:Local Authority Circular (2001)18). It is not envisaged that patients whose needs are of a nature, complexity, intensity or unpredictability that they currently require fully funded continuing national health service health care will cease to receive that care as a result of the new eligibility criteria being drawn up by strategic health authorities.

Free Continuing Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he intends to issue to the new strategic health authorities about eligibility criteria for free continuing care from April 2002.

Jacqui Smith: It is not our intention to issue new guidance to strategic health authorities regarding eligibility criteria for free continuing care. The guidance issued in June 2001 (Health Service Circular 2001/015:Local Authority Circular (2001)18) reflects the legal position outlined in ex-parte Coughlan. The legal position has not changed since the guidance was issued.
	It was made clear at paragraph 15 of the guidance that as health authorities are replaced by SHAs they should align their inherited continuing and ensure only one set of criteria exist across each SHA.

Lost/Stolen Property

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those items valued at more than £50 which have been stolen or lost from his Department in each of the last four years.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is in the table:
	
		Losses and thefts 2001–02
		
			 Item(s) Number Total amount (£) 
		
		
			 Nokia 8210 mobile phone 1 241.70 
			 Texas Instruments Extensa Series Laptop 1 1,500.00 
			 Compaq E500 Laptop 1 1,761.20 
			 Motorola Pager 1 146.88 
			 64 Mb DIMM memory chip 1 61.60 
			 Compaq Armada M700 Laptop 1 2,321.80 
			 Siemens C35 mobile phone 1 156.66 
			 Scriptor Pager 1 176.25 
			 Compaq Armada 1110 Laptop 1 2,321.80 
			 Compaq Armada Laptop 1 1,915.25 
			 Compaq M700 Laptop 1 2,321.80 
			 Compaq Spacesaver 866 base unit. keyboard and mouse 3 821.33 
			 Palm Pilot 3 1 158.63 
			 Compaq Armada M700 Laptop 1 2,184.33 
			 Compaq Laptop 1 2,184.33 
			 Compaq Armada 1750 Laptop 1 2,184.33 
			 Compaq Armada 1592 Laptop 1 1,684.33 
			 Nokia Mobile phone 1 115.15 
			 Psion MX5 and Vodaphone mobile phone 2 165.68 
			 HP Colour Laser jet 4550 Printer 1 1,800.10 
			 Compaq Armada M700 Laptop 1 1,995.15 
			 Compaq Laptop 1 1,995.15 
			 Siemens C35i mobile phone 1 179.66 
			 Compaq Laptop and Psion 5MX series 2 2,367.05 
			 Compaq Armada E500 Laptop 1 1,835.94 
			 Compaq Armada E500 Laptop 1 1,835.94 
			 Compaq Armada 1120 Laptop 1 1,835.94 
			 Pager 1 176.25 
			 Nokia mobile phone 1 50.00 
			 Siemens Lifebook Laptop 1 1,630.20 
			  
			 Total to date for 2001–02 34 38,124.43

Bed Blocking

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the problem of bed blocking in hospitals located in the Buckinghamshire health authority.

Jacqui Smith: On 9 October 2001 we announced additional funding of £300 million to tackle delayed discharges this year and next. Buckinghamshire was recognised as a local authority in need of extra help and was allocated £713,000 of additional funding this year and will receive £1.5 million in 2002–03.
	Quarterly information for Buckinghamshire health authority, on delayed discharges for patients aged 75 and over has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Speech Therapy (Autism)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what measures he is taking to increase the provision of speech therapists dealing with children and adults with autism;
	(2)  whether he will consider introducing ring-fenced funding to promote the greater provision of speech therapists dealing with people with autism;
	(3)  how many speech therapists are available to deal with people with autism in each health authority in England and Wales.

John Hutton: Speech and language therapists have a broad range of responsibilities and autism is one of the many important disorders with which they can help. The proportion of their time devoted to treatment of people with autism varies according to local needs assessment. So it is not possible to quantify the amount of speech and language therapy that is used to specifically treat autism. As at September 2000 there were 5,343 (headcount) speech and language therapists working in the national health service with 4,070 whole-time equivalents.
	Between 1997 and 2000 the number of speech and language therapists working in the national health service has increased by 560 (11 per cent.) and the number of training places available for students has increased by over a hundred since 1998. There will be further increases in the number of students entering training as a result of the NHS Plan commitment to provide 4,450 more training places each year for therapists and other health professionals by 2004. The increased investment in training, work to make the national health service a better employer and investment in return to practice initiatives will result in a continuing increase in the number of speech therapists available to work in the national health service.
	It is for health authorities in partnership with primary care groups/trusts and other local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services.

Complaints Investigation

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will announce the names of the chair and panel members for the independent investigation into the handling of complaints against Dr. Kerr and Mr. Haslam.

Alan Milburn: I am pleased to announce that Mr. Nigel Pleming QC has agreed to chair this investigation. Mr. Pleming has considerable experience in health law, including mental health law.
	I am also pleased to announce that Ms Ruth Lesirge and Ms Ros Alstead have agreed to be Panel members. Ms Lesirge is Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation. Ms Alstead is Director of Quality and Operations and Nursing at the South Birmingham Mental Health NHS Trust.
	Mr. Pleming and the inquiry panel will start work shortly. They will be holding early meetings with those involved to discuss the issues to be covered in the investigation.

Refurbishment

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the cost of buildings refurbishment carried out by his Department in each of the last four years.

Hazel Blears: The estimate of the cost of buildings refurbishment carried out by the Department, its executive agencies and executive non-departmental public bodies in each of the past four complete financial years is shown in the table.
	
		
			   £000 
		
		
			 1997–98 2,290 
			 1998–99 2,023 
			 1999–2000 5,778 
			 2000–01 5,002 
		
	
	This does not include refurbishment work carried out within the national health service nor the cost of fitting out of any new properties prior to occupation.

Emergency Calls

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average number of (a) emergency and (b) non-emergency calls per year handled by each ambulance service was in (i) England, (ii) South-west England and (iii) South-east England; and what is the number per thousand population in the last 12 months.

Hazel Blears: Information for all ambulance national health service trusts, by regional office area, about the number of emergency calls received in 2000–01 that resulted in an emergency response arriving at the scene of the incident is shown in the table. The rate per thousand population is also included. Information about non- emergency calls is not available in the form requested.
	
		
			  Emergency calls resulting in an emergency response arriving at the scene of the incident(27)  
			 Ambulance NHS Trust Number Rate per thousand population 
		
		
			 England 3,558 71 
			
			 Northern and Yorkshire 476 68 
			 West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance NHS Trust 172 81 
			 Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance NHS Trust 132 47 
			 Cumbria Ambulance NHS Trust 24 38 
			 North East Ambulance NHS Trust 148 105 
			 Trent 334 69 
			 South Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance NHS Trust 80 61 
			 Lincolnshire Ambulance NHS Trust 59 93 
			 East Midlands Ambulance NHS Trust 195 67 
			 Eastern 328 60 
			 Essex Ambulance NHS Trust 115 70 
			 East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust 114 52 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Ambulance NHS Trust 99 61 
			 London 700 95 
			 London Ambulance NHS Trust 700 95 
			 South-east 523 60 
			 Royal Berkshire Ambulance NHS Trust 47 58 
			 Hampshire Ambulance NHS Trust 83 50 
			 Isle of Wight Ambulance Service (NHS Trust)(28) 8 59 
			 Kent Ambulance NHS Trust 97 61 
			 Oxfordshire Ambulance NHS Trust 27 43 
			 Surrey Ambulance NHS Trust 78 72 
			 Sussex Ambulance NHS Trust 115 76 
			 The Two Shires Ambulance NHS Trust 68 52 
			 South West 291 59 
			 Avon Ambulance NHS Trust 60 59 
			 Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust 54 77 
			 Gloucestershire Ambulance NHS Trust 27 48 
			 West Country Ambulance NHS Trust 122 58 
			 Wiltshire Ambulance NHS Trust 29 47 
			 West Midlands 365 68 
			 Hereford and Worcester Ambulance NHS Trust 34 48 
			 Shropshire Ambulance Service (NHS Trust)(28) 22 50 
			 Staffordshire Ambulance NHS Trust 64 61 
			 Warwickshire Ambulance NHS Trust 27 34 
			 West Midlands Metropolitan Ambulance NHS Trust 218 94 
			 North West 540 86 
			 Lancashire Ambulance NHS Trust 112 87 
			 Mersey Regional Ambulance NHS Trust 193 81 
			 Greater Manchester Ambulance NHS Trust 235 90 
		
	
	(27) Excludes duplicate calls to the same incidents
	(28) Part of a community trust
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics mid-year population estimates for 2000
	Information about non-emergency patient journeys and other requests for transport, together with more detailed information about response times to Government targets for all NHS ambulance trusts are contained in the Department of Health Statistical Bulletin "Ambulance Services, England 2000–01". A copy is in the Library and available on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/ public/sb0115.htm.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Pre-school Education

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many three-year-olds attended Government-funded pre-school education in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000 in the Falmouth and Camborne constituency.

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many three-year-olds attended Government-funded pre-school education in Chesham and Amersham in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000.

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many three-year-olds attended Government-funded pre-school education in the Uxbridge constituency in each of the last four years.

Margaret Hodge: The information is not available in the form requested. Figures for other maintained 1 and private, voluntary and independent providers are not collected at parliamentary constituency level.
	The available information on children taking up free early education places at:
	(1) maintained nursery and primary schools, and
	(2) other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers.
	In each local education authority area in England in each year from 1997 to 2001 is shown in a table on the Department's statistical website. The table "Numbers of 3 and 4-year-olds taking up free early education places: 1997–2001" can be found at www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics/ DB/SBU/b0300/index.html.
	1 Includes some local authority providers (other than schools) that are registered to receive nursery education grant e.g. local authority day nurseries.

Learning and Skills Council

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in which town each local learning and skills council is headquartered; and what are its estimated accommodation costs in the first year.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 21 January 2002
	The information requested is provided in the table:
	
		
			  Local Learning and Skills Council  Headquarters Estimated accommodation costs 2001–02 (£) 
		
		
			 Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire Abingdon 323,002 
			 Berkshire Reading 838,510 
			 Surrey Woking 277,595 
			 Kent and Medway West Malling 568,594 
			 Sussex Brighton 512,319 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fareham (with a satellite office at Newport) 315,627 
			 Cumbria Workington 113,457 
			 Lancashire Preston 206,244 
			 Greater Manchester Manchester 653,217 
			 Greater Merseyside Liverpool 459,512 
			 Cheshire and Warrington Middlewich 174,698 
			 Shropshire Telford 79,725 
			 Staffordshire Stoke-on-Trent 191,818 
			 The Black Country Oldbury 243,183 
			 Birmingham and Solihull Birmingham 343,077 
			 Coventry and Warwickshire Coventry 411,763 
			 Herefordshire and Worcestershire Worcester 218,681 
			 Gloucestershire Gloucester 191,996 
			 Wiltshire and Swindon Swindon 346,451 
			 West of England Bristol 389,939 
			 Somerset Taunton 156,667 
			 Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole Bournemouth 235,090 
			 Devon and Cornwall Plymouth (with a satellite office at Truro) 401,508 
			 Northumberland Cramlington 102,649 
			 Tyne and Wear Gateshead 246,110 
			 County Durham Newton Aycliffe 108,536 
			 Tees Valley Middlesbrough 226,700 
			 North Yorkshire York 166,638 
			 West Yorkshire Bradford 497,038 
			 South Yorkshire Sheffield 294,884 
			 Humberside Hull 222,278 
			 Derbyshire Derby 183,933 
			 Nottinghamshire Nottingham 228,112 
			 Lincolnshire Lincoln 139,598 
			 Leicestershire Leicester 275,107 
			 Northamptonshire Northampton 300,122 
			 Norfolk Norwich 299,536 
			 Cambridgeshire Peterborough 253,971 
			 Suffolk Ipswich 155,001 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton Bedford 153,928 
			 Hertfordshire St. Albans 1,046,283 
			 Essex Chelmsford 433,871 
			 London West Hounslow 806,022 
			 London Central London 785,035 
			 London North Palmers Green 500,260 
			 London East Stratford 751,167 
			 London South Croydon 374,542 
		
	
	Note:
	Accommodation costs include annual rent and rates (including rate rebates), annual service charge and property insurance. In some cases final information is not yet available and costs have been estimated.
	Source:
	Learning and Skills Council

Private Finance Initiative

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total external spend by her Department was on Private Finance Initiative consultants in each of the last four years; how many full-time equivalent consultants were employed over this period; how many billed consultancy days there were per year; what the implied average cost of each PFI consultant was; how many consultancy firms were used by her Department over this period; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The following table details the external spend by the Department on Private Finance Initiative Consultants in each of the last four years.
	
		£ 
		
			  23 January 1998 to 24 January 1999 23 January 1999 to 24 January 2000 23 January 2000 to 24 January 2001 23 January 2001 to 24 January 2002 
		
		
			 Total spend on consultants 0 0 752,631.97 759,565.05 
			 Full-time equivalent 0 0 2.23 2.49 
			 Billed consultancy days 0 0 580.8 647.9 
			 Average cost per consultant 0 0 1,295.85 1,172.35 
			 Number of consultancy firms 0 0 4 4

University Students

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students attend each university in England.

Margaret Hodge: The available information on the numbers of students in each university in England is contained in "Students in Higher Education Institutions, 1999–2000" published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), a copy of which is available from the House Library.

School Census

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she expects to publish the results of the Annual Schools' Census of 17 January 2002.

Stephen Timms: The first data to be published from the Annual School Census of 17 January 2002 will be in the statistical first releases, "Class Sizes in Maintained Schools in England: January 2002 (Provisional)" and "Pupil:Teacher Ratios in Maintained Schools in England: January 2002 (Provisional)". These are due to be published in April 2002.
	The exact publication date will depend on the quality, completeness and timeliness of the data returned by schools.
	Details of publications over the next few months can be found in the statistical first release, "Schedule for the Publication of Statistics". Copies are placed in the House of Commons Library, or can be found on the DfES statistical website, www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics

Student Hardship

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on student hardship in higher education.

Margaret Hodge: The latest Student Income and Expenditure Survey (SIES) showed that in 1998–99 most students could meet all their essential expenditure from the student loan, which has since been raised annually in line with inflation. The SIES and other surveys suggest that students are meeting additional costs of entertainment and consumer goods from family income, commercial credit and part-time working.
	Our system of student support is designed so that those with the greatest need get the most support. 50 per cent. of full-time students entering HE in 2001–02 do not pay anything towards their tuition fees. We have introduced a number of measures including the Childcare Grant package to meet the needs of student parents, and there is other targeted support for disabled students and young people most in need.
	In our current review of student support we are looking at ways to simplify the system, especially in the area of hardship support; to provide more up-front support for students from less well-off backgrounds; to ensure that all students have access to sufficient financial support throughout their years in higher education; and to tackle the problem of debt and the perception of debt.

Excellence in Cities

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students in 2001–02 received Opportunity Bursaries under the Excellence in Cities programme; and in which regions and local education authority areas they were resident.

Margaret Hodge: There were 6,580 Opportunity Bursaries available in England for institutions to award to students who were entering higher education for the first time in 2001–02, and who met the criteria. The number of bursaries awarded so far is 6,129. Of these 84 per cent. (5,125) went to students from Excellence in Cities areas and Education Action Zones, and 16 per cent. (1,004) to students from elsewhere.
	Institutions were not asked to submit information about students with bursaries, according to individual education authority areas.

Higher Education

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the purpose is of her review of the postcode premium in higher education; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is currently reviewing the postcode premium and will be consulting on widening participation, including the focus of the premium, later in the spring.

Departmental Salary Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of the departmental expenditure limit in 2001–02 will be accounted for by salary costs and pension contributions.

Estelle Morris: Salary costs and pension contributions account for 0.72 per cent. of the total resource budget departmental expenditure limit for the Department for Education and Skills for 2001–02.

Autism

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what plans she has to increase the training of teachers and classroom assistants dealing with children with autism in mainstream schools;
	(2)  what plans she has to launch an advertising campaign to promote the recruitment of specialist teachers to teach autistic children in primary and secondary schools.

Ivan Lewis: In order to acquire qualified teacher status (QTS), all trainee teachers must, as part of their initial teacher training, demonstrate that they can identify pupils with special educational needs (SEN). This includes those who may have autistic spectrum disorders.
	The Government have made a significant investment in support of SEN. Through the Department's standards fund 2001–02, we are supporting local expenditure of £82 million on SEN. One of the expenditure headings is in-service training and development of teachers, and other staff, including learning support assistants. In 2002–03, we are increasing this investment to £91 million. Training will again be a major component, extended to cover training in disability, as well as SEN, in order to help schools and local education authorities prepare for their responsibilities under the Special Education Needs and Disability Act 2001, and the implementation of the new SEN Code of Practice.
	In addition, the Department has also introduced in 2002–03 two new funding streams specifically to support the creation of new training opportunities and resources for teachers, and other staff, linked to a number of key priorities. One of these is supporting those who work with pupils with learning difficulties, including pupils with autistic spectrum disorders. Competitive bids have been invited from voluntary organisations, as part of the Department's SEN small programmes fund, and from higher education institutions, under the new SEN training and development fund. £2 million will able available under these initiatives.
	With regard to advertising campaigns, the Government have introduced a significant number of recruitment measures to help schools to recruit the teachers they need. The grant that my Department provides the Teacher Training Agency to enable it to discharge its functions includes funding to cover advertising costs. The standards fund support I have referred to assists teachers to acquire specialist knowledge.

Autism

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what she is doing to promote Autism Awareness year.

Ivan Lewis: The Secretary of State welcomes initiatives which aim to improve our knowledge and understanding of autism and raise awareness of the condition. Better outcomes for children with autism are encouraged by early identification and intervention to meet their special educational needs. In 2002, the Department for Education and Skills will be publishing guidance for schools, local education authorities and others which will include pointers to good practice on provision for children with autism, including early identification. The Department will continue to work with the National Autistic Society and other interested parties to raise awareness of autism and improve provision for children with the condition.

Hardship Loans

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what arrangements are in place to ensure that higher education students' eligibility for hardship loans is consistent between institutions.

Margaret Hodge: My Department produces guidance for institutions on hardship loans each year. The guidance is intended to help administrators target the support effectively. It also helps to ensure that institutions deal with applications on a broadly consistent basis, while giving them the flexibility to meet individual students' needs.

TREASURY

Compliance Costs

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the one year projects on taxes and duties other than VAT or corporation tax, referred to in the HM Customs and Excise website as planned for inclusion in the compliance costs programme of research.

Paul Boateng: Customs and Excise planned to follow their study on VAT with studies into the compliance costs of Customs procedures for international trade and of Excise duties. The Revenue planned to follow the first year's study on corporation tax with a follow-up study, drawing on the earlier findings.

Compliance Costs

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the dates on which the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise awarded the contracts for studies of the compliance costs to UK businesses of (a) corporation tax and (b) VAT.

Paul Boateng: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Paymaster General to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Matthew Taylor) on 1 November 2001, Official Report, column 514W.

Compliance Costs

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will publish (a) the emerging findings report and (b) the final reports of (i) the VAT compliance cost project and (ii) the corporation tax compliance cost project.

Paul Boateng: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Paymaster General to the hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Edward Davey) on 26 November 2001, Official Report, column 631W.

Compliance Costs

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  which organisation has been awarded the contract from the Inland Revenue for a study of the compliance costs of corporation tax for UK businesses; what is the cost to public funds of that contract; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  which organisation has been awarded the contract by Customs and Excise for a research study of the compliance costs of VAT for UK businesses; what is the cost to public funds of that contract; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: The contracts were awarded to the social research division of BMRB International Ltd. in September 2000. Information on the costs of individual contracts is Commercial-in-Confidence.

VAT

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state for the VAT inspections control programme for 2000–01 (a) the number of staff years used, (b) the running costs, (c) the additional tax discovered and (d) the unit cost ratio of cost to revenue.

Paul Boateng: The information requested for the VAT inspections control programme 2000–01 is as follows:
	(a) Total VAT staff years used figure is 5,162, including support staff.
	(b) Running costs were £130 million, in terms of salary and expenses.
	(c) Net additional tax of £2.3 billion discovered.
	(d) The unit cost ratio is £1 cost: £17.69 net additional revenue.

VAT

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many VAT-registered companies and individuals became insolvent following action by HM Customs and Excise in each year since 1997; how much outstanding VAT was recovered from these concerns after formal insolvency occurred; what was the cost to Customs and Excise of pursuing those investigations; and how many VAT registrations were effected after guarantees were sought because of previous insolvency action against persons in the new venture.

Paul Boateng: The information is as follows:
	
		1. Number of companies and individuals insolvent following Customs' action
		
			  Year ended 31 March Customs bankruptcy/ winding up orders 
		
		
			 1998 4,333 
			 1999 4,891 
			 2000 5,162 
			 2001 4,313 
		
	
	
		2. Outstanding VAT recovered after formal insolvency occurred -- £ million
		
			 Period Amount recovered 
		
		
			 Year ended 31 December 1998 42 
			 Year ended 31 December 1999 43 
			 15 months ended 31 March 2000 64 
			 Year ended 31 March 2001 56 
		
	
	3. Customs do not hold information specific to the cost of pursuing bankruptcy and winding-up orders and post- insolvency recovery. It is not cost effective to produce this information.
	4. Customs do not maintain information on requirements of security explicitly due to a history of insolvency. The table that follows details the number of cases where security was obtained from traders considered to present a risk to the revenue. This includes instances of persons involved in previous insolvencies.
	
		
			  Year ended 31 March Total number of cases where security was obtained 
		
		
			 1998 722 
			 1999 741 
			 2000 808 
			 2001 481

Tax Receipts

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the annual receipts derived from payment of income tax, capital gains tax, national insurance and VAT paid by the top (a) one per cent., (b) five per cent. and (c) 10 per cent. of earners and the bottom (i) one per cent., (ii) five per cent. and (iii) 10 per cent. of earners.

Andrew Smith: The available information is given in the table. The bottom 1 per cent., 5 per cent., and 10 per cent. of earners do not pay income tax on their earnings. The bottom decile of earners could be liable to capital gains tax and income tax (if they have significant investment income); however, it is not possible to provide reliable estimates. It is also not possible to estimate amounts of VAT paid by individuals in different parts of the earnings distribution.
	
		Tax and national insurance contributions by percentiles of the earnings distribution in 2001–02 -- £ billion
		
			  Income tax Capital gains tax National insurance contributions 
		
		
			 Top 1 per cent. 20.7 1.0 0.6 
			 Top 5 per cent. 38.2 1.4 3.1 
			 Top 10 per cent. 48.2 1.6 6.3

Fuel Duty (Northern Ireland)

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much duty was raised at each Northern Ireland duty point in respect of all types of fuel and diesel in (a) 1998–99, (b) 1999–2000 and (c) 2000–01; and how much duty was raised in the UK in respect of all types of fuel and diesel in the same three periods.

Paul Boateng: Revenue receipts from all types of fuel duties in the relevant financial years were: (a) £21.6 billion; (b) £22.5 billion; and (c) £23 billion. Estimates of the receipts collected at different duty points are not available. There are no duty points currently located in Northern Ireland.

Aggregates Levy

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact on the manufacturers of added value aggregate products of the introduction of the Aggregates Levy.

Paul Boateng: The higher price of primary aggregate will provide an incentive to all users, including the producers of value added products, to make more efficient use of aggregates and better use of alternative materials. The impact on the actual costs to the end user will be dependent on the commercial decisions of aggregates suppliers.

Company Car Drivers

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of how many incorrect tax codes have been sent to company car drivers as a result of the introduction of the carbon dioxide emissions-based system; and if he will make a statement on the implications for the Exchequer.

Paul Boateng: For the majority of company car drivers the Inland Revenue have had to estimate the value of company car benefit for 2002–03 because they do not hold the necessary information required to calculate the figure under the new rules. In about 280,000 cases the provisional amount of benefit included in the coding notices may not have been calculated on the basis of information already supplied by employers. In those cases the Inland Revenue have made it clear that revised coding notices will be issued before the start of the new tax year.

Fuel Contracts

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fuel contracts Government Departments have with Exxon Mobil/Esso.

Andrew Smith: Government Departments are responsible for their own contracts, however OGCbuying.solutions offer framework contracts that are available to the whole of central Government. There are three contracts in place with Esso covering heating oils and motor fuels. Specific details cannot be disclosed in accordance with Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Debt Relief

Tony Baldry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has made to ensure that the first 23 countries to receive debt relief spend less on debt and more on education.

Paul Boateng: The UK Government have been at the forefront internationally of pressing to ensure that savings on debt relief are linked to the development of comprehensive national poverty reduction strategies. Education is a key feature of these plans.
	Countries receiving HIPC debt relief have benefited from increased social spending of $1.7 billion in 2001–02, equivalent to 1.2 per cent. of their GDP. Education spending has accounted for 40 per cent. of the savings made on debt, equivalent to nearly $700 million in 2001–02. The World bank and the IMF are currently preparing a report, to be presented to the board, to further track the spending of HIPC finance.

Aggregates Tax

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 28 January 2002, Official Report, column 8W, on aggregates tax, whether the discussions the Government have held regarding the implementation of the aggregates tax in Scotland with a wide range of organisations within Government include discussions with the Scotland Office.

Paul Boateng: It would not be appropriate to provide specific information on the extent and nature of discussions within Government on matters of policy, as Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information provides.

Internet Service Providers

Nick Hawkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  on what basis VAT is calculated for (a) UK-based and (b) non-UK-based internet service providers;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with (a) UK-based internet service providers and (b) Customs and Excise about the appropriate VAT charges for flat-rate unmetered internet access charges on non-UK-based ISPs;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to ensure non-UK-based internet service providers account for value added tax on the same basis as UK-based ISPs.

Paul Boateng: This is a complex area of EC VAT law, centring on the interpretation and application of the rules that govern the 'place of taxation' of services. The Government currently have the treatment of internet access packages under review, and have held discussions with a range of interested bodies. The Government are also negotiating for relevant changes to be made to EC VAT law in order to provide lasting clarity and certainty in this area.